Dragon Child
by Aoi Ryuu
Summary: AU. Tsuzuki is an exiled mage living peacefully when a stranger from the troubled world outside the Forest arrives seeking his help. Tsusoka. FINISHED!
1. Default Chapter

Lessee, lessee...this one is odd. It's an AU, with the characters set up as different types of magical, fey, or faerie tale creatures. I kinda like it tho. Pairings: Tsuzuki/Hisoka (eventually) Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Yoko Matsushita. The setting is mine, tho.   
  
The sun rose quickly over the Forest of Shadows, flooding the air with dawn light and shredding the mist that had settled between the trees hours before. The forest was one of the oldest in the world, with great trees that seemed to reach the very home of the gods. It was a place steeped in mystery, and in such a troubled world as this had become, it was a place avoided by most.  
The people and creatures of the world had become wary and suspicious, mistrusting outsiders, and often others of their kind as well. The races had begun to interbreed on a scale that alarmed many of the full bloods. The crossbreeding was considered dirty and unnatural, and the innocents born of mixed parentage were persecuted. The mistrust and hatred poisoned the minds of all: angel, elf, dragon, human, and demon alike. The species began quarreling, not only with outsiders, but amongst themselves as well. War was a constant threat that darkened the realms. It seemed that only the Forest, with its unnerving darkness escaped the looming prospect of bloodshed.  
Despite its reputation, there were those who dwelt within the Forest of Shadows for various reasons. Some preferred to remain in what they claimed was their ancestral home. Some lived in hiding for one reason or another. Others simply preferred the solitude living within the Forest provided.  
Asato Tsuzuki was a mage who had originally entered the Forest seeking refuge from the ever-present prejudice, but had come to enjoy the peace of his home. He lived in a small cottage in a clearing deep enough within the woods to discourage all but the most desperate from seeking him out. Few souls were brave enough to venture into the Forest looking for him, but the ones who came were ones who bore him no ill will. They were people who greatly needed his help, for Tsuzuki was a highly skilled mage indeed.  
Travelers were few and far between, however, so Tsuzuki had settled into a quiet routine of sleeping in and tending his gardens. His services were occasionally required by a small village of elves that lived not too far away who repaid him with quiet friendship and protection. Aside from that, there was very little to occupy his time.   
So it was with a fair amount of surprise that he looked up from his breakfast of honeyed scones as a knock sounded on the door of his cabin. He sighed, not particularly wanting to be interrupted in the middle of breakfast, but he set his food aside to answer the door. Someone needed his help, and the scones could wait.  
A joyful smile blossomed across his face, and his violet eyes widened in happiness to see a familiar figure standing outside. His visitor was an elf, tall and graceful with a commanding presence and sharp blue eyes.  
"Tatsumi! How are you? Come in!" Tsuzuki moved aside, waving his friend in, pleased by the elf's unexpected visit.  
A small smile was displayed on Tatsumi's normally expressionless face as he answered. "I am well. How are you fairing?"   
"Fine as always! What brings you here? Would you like some tea?" Tsuzuki turned before Tatsumi could answer, bustling off to the kitchen to fix the offered tea.  
"Tsuzuki, wait." Tatsumi's smile faded, and he extended a hand towards the shorter man. "I did not come for tea, I'm afraid. Someone has come searching for you."  
"Oh?" Tsuzuki turned back to face the elf, eyes wide and curious. "Where is he? Or is it she?" He peered out a window, wondering if the person had remained outside.  
"I left him in the village."  
"The village? Why?" Long years of companionship had enabled Tsuzuki to be able to read Tatsumi's emotions better than the elf would have guessed. Right now, his tense expression said that he was uneasy, and Tsuzuki wondered why.  
"He looks to be a human child of about sixteen or seventeen, but I'd wager all my savings that he is no more human than I am."  
Tsuzuki blinked at his guest. If Tatsumi was willing to wager on something, that made it a sure thing. "So what is he?"  
"We don't know. He arrived in the village, demanding to know where he could find you. Thus far he has not shown signs of aggression, but he refuses to talk to anyone except you."  
Tsuzuki smiled brightly, trying to reassure the elf. "Take me to see him then."  
Tatsumi's small smile returned, showing his relief, and he stepped outside as Tsuzuki slung his black cloak around his shoulders.  
The elven village was located approximately fifteen minutes from Tsuzuki's cottage, in a much larger clearing. Tatsumi led the way to the center of the village where the meeting lodge was located. The whole building was only a little larger than Tsuzuki's cottage, but the village was small, and all the inhabitants could fit within it. Two elves stood guard just outside the entrance, and Tatsumi paused to speak to them.  
"Any trouble?"  
"No sir. The kid's barely said a word."  
Tatsumi's cobalt eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Not 'kid'," he admonished. "The moment we start thinking of it as a child is the moment we let our guard down. Remember, we don't know what it is or what it can do."  
The elf nodded, but behind Tatsumi, Tsuzuki frowned in distaste for the elf's attitude towards the outsider. He hid his feelings as Tatsumi opened the door and turned to motion him inside.  
Three more elves stood in the dim light of the lodge, obviously keeping watch over a fourth figure who stood, head bowed and arms crossed, in the center of the room.  
Tsuzuki studied the stranger thoughtfully, staying just inside the door. He looked, just as Tatsumi had said, like a young teenager. However, the elf had failed to mention any other details about him.   
He had obviously been traveling for a long time with little or no money for the journey. His clothes, once a costly set of silks, were dirty and torn. The pale skin of his hands and face was in little better condition, and he was too thin. He looked up suddenly. Dusty, honey colored hair fell over fierce leaf green eyes as he stared at Tsuzuki.  
"Are you the mage?" His voice was soft, light, and low, with a strange whispery accent that neither elves nor mage recognized.  
"I am," Tsuzuki replied, nodding.  
"I have need of your services. I will pay you well if you can accomplish what I ask."  
Tsuzuki smiled. "What's your name?"  
"...Hisoka."  
"Well Hisoka, you must understand that I can't agree to anything until I know what you're asking of me."  
Jade eyes flashed as Hisoka glanced at the four elves in the room before returning his gaze to Tsuzuki. "My request is between you and me. I have no use for elves."  
Two of the guards bristled, one snorted, and Tatsumi glared. Hisoka glared back, bristling as well under the unwelcoming stares of the elves.  
After a long moment, Tatsumi raised a hand in a gesture of dismissal, dispelling much of the unease in the atmosphere. The guards left the room, relieved to be getting away from the unnerving presence of the stranger.  
"I will stay." Tatsumi spoke evenly, in a tone that, normally, no one would dare argue with.  
"I have nothing to discuss with you, elf! Your magic cannot help me."  
An almost imperceptible tightening of his features was the only clue to show that Tatsumi was surprised, and not necessarily pleased, with this observation.   
"What makes you think I have magic?"  
"Don't play games with me, elf. I know you have magic. I know half your village mistrusts me and the others think I am a child. I know that the mage does not mistrust me, and he is not pleased that you so openly do."  
Tatsumi cast a surprised glance at Tsuzuki who nodded sheepishly. He sighed, and stepped away from the elf, approaching the outsider to get a better look at him.  
Hisoka stood still and calm as Tsuzuki walked up to him. Up close, the mage could see that Hisoka's ears were very slightly pointed, and his eyes had slit pupils.  
"Would you mind telling me what you are, exactly?"  
"I will explain when he leaves." Tsuzuki watched carefully as Hisoka spoke, noting the delicate set of fangs he possessed.  
With a reassuring smile to Hisoka, Tsuzuki turned back to face Tatsumi.  
"We're going to go talk at my place."  
"Tsuzuki...."  
"It's okay! I know what he is. He won't be any trouble."  
"...As you say."  
Tsuzuki nodded, pleased, and turned once more to face Hisoka. "Come on! Let's go to my house. It's not far, and we can talk there."  
For a moment Hisoka eyed him warily, but then he shrugged. "Lead the way." With a cheery smile, Tsuzuki latched onto Hisoka's hand, and pulled him out of the lodge and out of the village.  
"O-oi! Let go!" Hisoka dug his heels in, managing to make Tsuzuki stop short just outside the elves' clearing. The mage looked back at him in surprise.  
"Wow. You're a lot stronger than you look, Kyuuketsuki-san."  
"Kyuuketsuki?! You think I'm a vampire?"   
"Ah...yes...?"  
Hisoka scowled. "And exactly how did you come to that conclusion?"  
"Um..." Tsuzuki raised a hand, ticking points off on his fingers as he thought. "You have pale skin, slightly pointed ears, fangs....So...you aren't a vampire?"  
"Of course not, baka!"  
"Well what are you then?"  
"We'll talk when we get to your house."  
"Why so secretive? The elves aren't sneaking around listening, you know."  
"I have my reasons," the youth snapped. "Besides, the elves don't trust me, so I don't trust them."  
"All right, but I really think it'd be easier for you if you weren't so suspicious of everyone."  
Hisoka remained silent and Tsuzuki sighed, disappointed. The walk back to his cottage was uncomfortably quiet. The only noises came from the shuffling of their passing and the forest's resident animals.  
Relief flooded the mage when his home at last came into view. "We're here," he announced, smiling widely as Hisoka studied the cozy little cottage and its abundant flower beds.  
"...I noticed." Hisoka followed Tsuzuki inside, his sharp gaze traveling about, observing his surroundings with a level of suspicion that the mage doubted was natural. He dropped gracefully into one of the sitting room chairs when Tsuzuki suggested they sit down.  
"Now, what are you, and why were you looking for me?"  
"Right to the point," Hisoka said with approval. He sat perfectly still and straight, and his eyes were serious as he spoke. "I am a dragon. I-"  
"A dragon? Really? I heard dragons almost never take on human form! Why-"  
"I was trying to explain." Tsuzuki quieted quickly under the icy green glare. "I'm stuck...in this form, I mean. I can't transform back." Despite his unwavering gaze, Tsuzuki realized that Hisoka was embarrassed and angry over his predicament.  
"Do you know why you can't change back?"  
"...Aa." Without another word, he stood and stripped off his embroidered silk shirt. He looked down, scowling, and clenched his fists, dredging up horrible memories. As his anger built, lines began to form across his skin. Arcane symbols glowed with a sickening red light, tracing a curse written into his flesh. He looked up when Tsuzuki gasped in alarm, and stared evenly at the mage.  
"Who...who did that to you?"  
"A wizard," the dragon boy growled, shoving an arm back into a sleeve. "A particularly nasty wizard named Muraki. He tricked me, and trapped me in human form. I can't fly-I can't even use my magic anymore!" Hisoka's hands shook as he fastened the buttons down the front of his shirt, and the barely contained rage in his voice startled Tsuzuki.  
"It-it's okay! We'll find a way to fix this!" He stood, reaching out to touch Hisoka's shoulder in reassurance, but the young dragon moved amazingly quickly, leaping away from Tsuzuki's hand.  
"Don't touch me," he snapped, glaring at the mage warily.  
"I was just-I didn't mean to startle you. Sorry."  
Hisoka watched him with a cold aloofness that seemed odd in one who looked so young. Tsuzuki put on his best hurt puppy look, hoping that he hadn't broken some odd draconian custom and insulted the youth.  
Surprise touched the dragon's delicate features briefly, then his face slid into an unreadable mask and some of the tension left his shoulders. He looked to the side and spoke softly, but without remorse for his actions or the worry he had caused the mage.  
"Aren't you curious about how I knew that you weren't afraid of me? Or how you felt about that elf's attitude?"  
Tsuzuki nodded hesitantly, unsure where the questions were leading.  
"I have the ability to read the emotions of others. I feel them all the time, whether I want to or not. Physical contact strengthens it, and, if I choose, allows me to actually read someone's thoughts."  
The mage stared at Hisoka in wide-eyed amazement. "Is that how you knew Tatsumi had magic?"  
"No. That's an ability all dragons have." He turned his head to look at Tsuzuki again, and his jade eyes began to shine eerily. "We can see auras."  
For a moment Tsuzuki was silent. It was dark in the room since he had neglected to open the curtains, and seeing Hisoka standing in the shadows, eyes glowing and fangs glinting as he spoke was more than a little disturbing.   
"Ah...do you realize that your eyes glow when you do that?"  
He lifted slim shoulders in an unconcerned shrug and the unearthly glow in his eyes faded. "I imagine it's because they're reflecting the light from your aura. Does it matter?"  
Tsuzuki laughed. "No. Sorry."  
"So can you break the curse?" His voice was quiet, free of emotion.  
"Come here, please." Hisoka obeyed, watching Tsuzuki with the same cynicism that he seemed to regard all else with. He stood still as Tsuzuki stared hard at his face. "When was the last time you slept?"  
"What does that have to do with the curse?"  
"Answer the question please."  
"Before I encountered Muraki."  
"How long ago was that?"  
"I don't know. A few months."  
"Months?! You haven't slept in months?"  
"Dragons don't adhere to the tedious sleep schedules of humans and the like," Hisoka snapped, irritated. "We can stay awake as long as we need."  
For the second time that day, a frown appeared on Tsuzuki's face. "But it's obvious you're exhausted. You need rest."  
"I can't sleep. Not until I've regained my form. This body is too weak; I'd be defenseless." Tsuzuki's blank look drew an annoyed sigh from the dragon. "After staying awake for so long, once I fall asleep I won't wake up for weeks. That's how it works. Nothing would be able to wake me until my body was rested enough."  
"If that's all you're worried about, then there won't be a problem. There's an empty room upstairs that you can sleep in. I'll be here to keep an eye on you, and if I have to go out, the elves will watch the house."  
Hisoka scowled and clenched his fists. Watching him carefully, Tsuzuki noticed that he was trembling and, though it was hard to tell for sure, he looked even paler. The mage's concerned frown deepened.  
"Are you all right? You look-"  
"I'm fine!" He took a breath, calming himself. Proper dragons did not show weakness. "I'm fine. I don't need sleep, I need this curse broken."  
"Listen," Tsuzuki kept his voice soft and calm. "You need rest. I don't know what all you've been through, but now that I've noticed, I can tell that you're about to drop. I need to do some reading about curses before I try anything against yours anyway, so you may as well sleep while I'm doing my research." Hisoka remained stubbornly silent, so Tsuzuki tried again. "Can you tell when people are lying?"  
"Aa."  
"Here, then." The mage spread his arms, inviting Hisoka to use his ability to test his intent. "I promise you, I won't let anything happen to you while you sleep. You will be perfectly safe here."  
"...Spreading your arms like that doesn't affect how I read you."  
Tsuzuki smiled and shrugged. "Then it didn't hurt anything. So, have you decided to get your rest?"  
"...Aa."  
"Good. Follow me. You should get cleaned up before you go to bed." The mage led the way up a narrow flight of stairs to the second story. He opened the second of three doors lining the hall, revealing a room with a wash basin, stool, mirror, and a large tub.  
"Wait here a moment," he instructed. "I need to go find a change of clothes for you." Tsuzuki disappeared into the third room, returning moments later with a bundle of clothes. "They'll be a little big on you, of course, but they'll be better than what you've got on."  
Hisoka nodded, stepping aside to let Tsuzuki into the bathroom. He watched silently as the mage set the clothes on the stool, then knelt beside the tub. He reached in, barely touching the bottom with his palm. Slowly, he raised his hand, and as the dragon watched, water came from nowhere, following just below his fingers to fill the tub. When Tsuzuki judged the level to be high enough, he closed his hand into a fist, ending the spell. He smiled and tapped the surface of the water, and steam began to rise from the now hot bath. He stood and turned, dusting his hands for no reason as he smiled at Hisoka.   
"Enjoy," he said cheerily and left the room, closing the door firmly behind himself.  
"Show off," Hisoka muttered, more irritated at the fact that he couldn't use his own magic than at Tsuzuki's display.  
He stripped and sank into the bath quickly, splashing carefully at the dirt and dust that covered him until he was clean. For a few minutes he sat still, letting tired muscles relax in the soothing warmth.  
He looked down at the back of his right hand, tracing along a healing scratch that stretched across from his wrist to his index finger. It shouldn't have been there at all. He had gotten that particular cut days ago, and his natural healing abilities should have mended it within hours. Obviously it hadn't healed, which meant the curse was interfering with that as well.  
Hisoka slammed his fist into the water, sending up a shower of droplets that sprayed the entire room. He stood, growling draconian curses and scowling ferociously at nothing.  
He forced himself to calm down as he dressed in the simple tunic and pants. It was bad enough that the elves didn't trust him. If he went storming around Tsuzuki's house in such a foul temper, the mage might just decide that they were right, that he did pose a threat.  
He opened the door, looking around the empty hall for signs of his host. The first door now stood open, and he approached slowly, wondering if this was the room he was meant to stay in.  
Tsuzuki was inside, spreading fresh sheets over the neat, four post bed. He turned to smile at Hisoka.   
"Much better. Here, I've just finished getting things set up. Once you're rested, we can try getting rid of that curse." He stepped aside, letting Hisoka move to sit down on the bed.  
"Thank you," the dragon said quietly, slipping between the sheets.  
"It's no problem. I'm always glad to help." He left the room quietly, closing the door with a smile as Hisoka drifted off. He bounced down the stairs and into the kitchen to reheat his scones and finish breakfast. 


	2. chapter 2

Thanx to the nice ppl who commented on my work. I'm glad you approved. -niko- I'm not entirely sure when I'll get the next chapter up, but hopefully it'll be soon. I hafta sit down and write it. ^^* So far, I only have a vague idea about plot. Just a major point or two, but I'll do my best to finish and improve my writing. Expect the return of Muraki (blah) and a touch of madness in the next chapter or two. Thanx again.  
Pairings: Tsuzuki/Hisoka (eventually)  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Yoko Matsushita. The setting is mine, tho.  
  
Hisoka woke slowly, blinking his sensitive eyes in pain against the goldenrod rays of sunshine angling through the window. He looked around, confused, wondering where he was and why he wore human form. He sat up and stared at the pale hands resting limply on his lap. Slowly his mind caught up, and he remembered the cause of his current circumstances.  
Hissing swears in dragon speech, he got out of bed and yanked off the overlarge tunic the mage had loaned him. It hadn't taken him long to learn that anger, or other strong negative emotions caused the curse to flare to life against his skin. So he concentrated now on memories to awaken the marks. He bit back what would have been a loud swear in a language the mage could understand when his trial revealed that the curse had not worn off during his rest.  
For a long time he stood, shaking with rage, unable to think past what had been done to him...and what he wished to do for revenge. He clenched his fists, becoming even more furious as blood oozed from the cuts his nails opened in the soft palms.   
He started and whirled, tensing, as the door opened behind him. His expression cleared and he stood straighter, calming down as Tsuzuki entered the room.  
The mage smiled at him nervously. "Sorry. I heard noises, and I wasn't sure if you were actually awake this time, so I came-"  
Hisoka blinked. "This time? What do you mean, this time?"  
"Ah...you don't remember any of it?"  
"Any of what?"   
"You've been having nightmares." Tsuzuki looked at him with solemn purple eyes. "I came to check on you when I heard, but you wouldn't wake up."  
Hisoka looked away, embarrassed. "I told you nothing could wake me up until my body was rested," he muttered. "...What did you hear?"  
For a moment Tsuzuki was silent, wondering what he should tell the young dragon. "Nothing I could understand," he said finally.  
Jade eyes watched him suspiciously. Hisoka didn't believe the lie, but it was more comfortable than discussing the nightmares further. He shrugged.  
"Sorry I bothered you." As soon as the words left his mouth he winced. Proper dragons did not apologize except to more powerful dragons.  
"It was no trouble." Tsuzuki's words were accompanied by a reassuring smile. "Would you like to have some dinner?"  
"A...aa. Sure."  
"You're in for a treat! I'll make you a special dish as my guest, and tomorrow we'll work on solving your problem." The mage padded out of the room to go begin preparations for dinner, then suddenly turned around and stuck his head back into the room. "Almost forgot! I had the elves bring by some clothes to fit you. They're in the dresser." He smiled, pointing to a small chest of drawers beside the bed. "Come on downstairs after you've changed."  
Hisoka nodded and Tsuzuki left humming to himself, pleased to have a guest to talk to.  
The dragon shook his head and shut the door before turning to the dresser. He looked through the drawers, picking out a pair of tan pants and a dark green shirt. All the clothes were soft cotton, dyed with simple shades of brown or green. Hisoka recognized it as being typical of elven cloth, and wondered how much he would be expected to pay for the clothes. He doubted the elves had given them to him for free.  
Once he was comfortably attired in clothes that fit, he made his way down the stairs. An appetizing aroma wafted through the air, and he followed it to the kitchen, where he found Tsuzuki stirring a pot of something over a wood-burning stove.  
"Almost ready," the mage said, not turning his attention from the bubbling concoction. "There's a table and chairs in the next room, if you want to have a seat."  
Hisoka passed into the dining room, and eyed the dishes piled about the table with distaste. He gathered them up, and carried them carefully back to the kitchen.  
"Oh! Sorry! I'll get those."  
"You're cooking," Hisoka reminded him, setting the dishes into the sink. "Focus on that."  
Amusement wove through the atmosphere. "Of course."  
With the dishes taken care of for the moment, Hisoka retreated to the dining room and took a seat at the battered wooden table. He didn't have to wait long for Tsuzuki to enter with a pair of spoons and two bowls of steaming soup.  
"Here you are!" Tsuzuki smiled widely. "I made it with my own special blend of spices!"  
Hisoka accepted the bowl with a quiet 'thanks', and waited for Tsuzuki to sit down. Under the mage's encouraging smile, he lifted a spoonful of the thick soup to his mouth. As soon as the piping liquid touched his tongue he regretted trying it. He couldn't imagine how anything could taste so awful. The spoon dropped with a clatter as he clamped one hand to his mouth to keep from spitting the offending food all over the table. His other hand went to his throat as he forced himself to swallow something that was far too hot.  
"Hisoka!" Tsuzuki was beside him in an instant, one hand on a slim shoulder, the other patting the dragon boy's back. "Are you alright? You're supposed to blow on it to cool it! Don't choke!"  
"I-I'm fine...." He broke off, coughing.  
Tsuzuki chuckled as his worry subsided. "You dragons really don't take on human form often, do you?"  
"It's not...nevermind." Dragon etiquette was not generally so forgiving, but Hisoka held his tongue, judging it unwise to insult the mage he was seeking help from. "You can let go now." He glanced at the hand on his shoulder before turning a serious stare onto the mage himself.  
"Sorry." Tsuzuki backed away, smiling in a lopsided, embarrassed sort of way that was actually quite amusing. It was only a lifetime of living by draconian codes of conduct that kept Hisoka from smiling back, or even laughing at the mage.  
"I'm not really hungry right now." The soft scraping of wood on wood sounded briefly as he pushed away from the table. Stretching a bit, he stood and reached for his bowl and spoon to take them back to the kitchen. "I need some fresh air."  
"I'll get those." Tsuzuki indicated the dishes with a smile. "You go on ahead outside. I'll join you when I finish cleaning up."  
Hisoka nodded and set the bowls down, wondering absently if the mage would actually clean them up. Deciding that it didn't matter, he made his way to the front door, and the twilight world beyond.  
As soon as he stepped outside, he regretted it. One of the elves, the tall one he had pegged as a village leader, was walking up the path to the cottage. Hisoka shut the door and took a few steps down the path before he stopped and waited for the elf to approach. He kept his face carefully blank. Proper dragons did not show emotion.  
Tatsumi stopped several steps away and regarded Hisoka for a moment, wearing an equally unreadable expression.  
"So," he said finally. "You are awake, young dragon."  
Hisoka bowed his head slightly, keeping his eyes on the elf, but showing no surprise. "I thank your village for the clothes provided. I will repay you as soon as possible." Proper dragons did not carry debts.  
"That will not be necessary. The clothing was given freely."  
Jade eyes narrowed in suspicion as the dragon stared at Tatsumi. "No one does anything for free." The cynical certainty in his voice surprised the elf, and for a moment both were silent.  
"How old are you?"  
"Old enough to realize that truth."  
"Little one, I highly doubt that-" Tatsumi stopped short as he heard a sharp intake of breath He stared at Hisoka, noticing that his skin had blanched, making him even paler than usual. He was holding himself rigid, trying unsuccessfully to hold back tremors. "What is it? What's wrong with you?"  
"Don't," he began. His voice was quiet and shaking, and he had to start again. "Don't call me...that...."  
Tatsumi stepped forward, reaching out a hand to grasp the youth's shoulder. He stared in shock as Hisoka leapt backward.  
"Don't touch me!"  
"Hisoka? Tatsumi?" The two looked to the door of the cottage where Tsuzuki stood peering out into the dim light of the clearing. He stepped outside, watching Hisoka with worried eyes. "What's going on?"  
"Nothing!" Hisoka whirled and stormed off to the back yard, leaving Tsuzuki to stare questioningly at the elf.  
Tatsumi lifted his arms in a graceful shrug. "Apparently he objects to being called 'little one'. Your guess as to why is as good as mine."  
"Tatsumi...." The mage kept his voice low, and watched the corner of the house Hisoka had darted around. "Don't be mad at him. Please? He...he's been through a lot."  
"Such as...?"   
"I don't know exactly." However, Tsuzuki wouldn't meet Tatsumi's eyes, and the elf realized that he knew more than he was letting on. "The whole time he was asleep he had nightmares...bad ones. When he wasn't screaming, he was crying."  
Both were silent for a time. Finally, Tatsumi ventured his own guess about the dragon.  
"He really is very young, isn't he? Relatively speaking, I mean. Not much older than he looks."  
"Not much older?" Tsuzuki laughed shortly. "No. He had to grow up too fast." He sighed. "I don't know if I can help him."  
"Tsuzuki." Tatsumi laid a comforting hand on the mage's shoulder. "Just do your best. You can't take every affliction that crosses your way so seriously. You're much too caring."  
A thin smile spread across Tsuzuki's face. "I know. You've been telling me that for years."   
Darkness descended in full upon the forest, casting shadow over the two men. The sun had set completely, taking its warm yellow light with it. Fog began to rise amidst the trees like magic, wrapping translucent silver tendrils about the darkened trunks. The pair watched in silence. The fog was a familiar occurrence within the forest, and one of the reasons behind the various strange stories that circulated.  
Tsuzuki's voice was hushed as he spoke. "Would you like to come in for some tea?"   
"No, thank you. I merely came by to check on the boy's condition. I shall have to inform the village that he has awoken."  
"I don't think he's a threat." The mage cast a sidelong glance at Tatsumi.  
"Perhaps. Perhaps not. For now I shall keep everyone informed of his behavior."  
"Tatsumi-" The elf raised a hand, cutting off Tsuzuki's protest.  
"We will do nothing as long as he does not become a problem." There was nothing to say in response, so Tsuzuki bid him goodbye, and turned to look for Hisoka as Tatsumi disappeared into the silver shrouded trees.  
He wandered into the back yard, scanning the fog carefully as he went. For the first time in many years he felt uneasy walking through the pale mist. As much as he wanted to ignore Tatsumi's suspicions, he had to admit to himself that he didn't know Hisoka very well. The dragon boy seemed withdrawn, but he was obviously holding in a great deal of anger and pain. Things like that could affect the mind, making a person unpredictable. On top of that, he had no idea what dragons were capable of.  
Something glinted ahead of him and he froze. It took a moment for him to realize that the light was coming from a pair of leaf green eyes. Slowly Hisoka stood, rising out of the fog like a haloed specter.  
"This fog is not natural," he stated calmly. His eyes dimmed suddenly, and Tsuzuki realized that he'd been using his astral sight. With a start, the mage drew a breath, not remembering having stopped breathing in the first place.  
"Y-you startled me." He laughed nervously.  
Hisoka didn't move. "I know. I could feel you coming."  
Violet eyes blinked in confusion. "You could-oh! You're an empath! I'm sorry, I forgot!"  
"Why are you apologizing?" Although Hisoka's stare remained unwavering, Tsuzuki could detect a hint of sullen surprise in the dragon's soft tone.  
"Because I forgot, and I didn't mean to be projecting things like that at you. I came looking for you to see if you were okay."  
"You were concerned about me?" There was definitely surprise this time, although he still sounded wary.  
"Of course! You're my friend, aren't you?"  
For a long moment, Hisoka didn't respond. Finally he lowered his gaze, and walked past Tsuzuki to the cottage.  
"Baka. I'm nobody's friend. I'm just here to be cured, then I'm going h-then I'm leaving."  
The mage watched him disappear into the darkness inside the back door. He wondered about the slip, but resolved not to question it. At least for the time being. After another few minutes of staring at the ghostly radiance of the fog, he followed Hisoka inside.  
  
The atmosphere over breakfast the next morning was strained. Hisoka had avoided the mage last night, laying still and pretending to be asleep as Tsuzuki checked up on him before turning in. The problem with his act was that he had been too still. Sleeping people were never as tense as the young dragon had been. Since waking he had remained completely silent unless Tsuzuki had asked him a question that required a verbal answer.  
The fact that the eggs were burnt and the pancakes contained twice the amount of sugar called for did not help the situation.  
A sigh escaped the mage's lips, and was ignored by the sandy haired youth across the table. Obviously he had offended his guest last night, but Tsuzuki had no idea how. He wondered if a general apology might make it better.  
"Na, Hisoka...?"  
"...Aa?"  
"Gomen nasai." Green eyes snapped up to stare at him, concealing a whirl of emotions and thoughts.  
"Why?"  
"Well, because I said something-or did something, I'm not sure- wrong last night I guess, 'cause you've been so distant-well, more than usual, and...." He shrugged.  
"You...don't know why you're apologizing?"  
"I'm apologizing because I must've done something wrong, and since you'll be here until we work out what to do, I don't want to make you uncomfortable."  
Hisoka did not seem to know how to take this statement, so he looked back down at his plate and continued pushing bits of browned scrambled egg around with his fork.  
Of course, Tsuzuki noticed that he hadn't actually taken a bite.  
"Aren't you hungry? I thought you'd be famished after sleeping so long."  
"How long was I out?"  
"Ano...a little over a month, actually."  
"Was that elf over here every other night to make sure I hadn't killed you or something?"  
"You really can't fault Tatsumi for being worried," Tsuzuki said, sounding hurt by the dragon's sarcasm. "He's been looking out for me for a long time now. And he's the one who got the clothes for you."  
"I know. I thanked him last night and offered payment. He refused. I hadn't expected that."  
Tsuzuki chuckled. "I wish I'd heard that. Tatsumi-refusing payment! You have no idea how strange that is for him."  
Hisoka shrugged. "Whether he accepted or not doesn't matter. Once I'm back to normal, I can pay you and the elves from my hoard."  
"Don't worry about it. None of us expect repayment. Residents of the Forest take care of each other."  
"I'm not a resident."  
"Not a permanent one maybe but-"  
"And I don't carry debts. You will be repaid."  
For a moment, Tsuzuki eyed him critically. "Anyone ever tell you that you're too serious about everything?"  
"Too...serious...?" Hisoka laughed shortly, but the sound was far from amused.  
"What?"  
"Why don't we get started on breaking this curse? That is why I'm here, after all."  
"A-aa. Right. Just...let me clean up these dishes. Then we'll get started." Hisoka nodded in acceptance and Tsuzuki cleared off the table.  
The short time it took for Tsuzuki to clear the table and return from the kitchen told Hisoka that the dishes had been left in a messy pile for later. The same was likely true of last night's dinner dishes, as well as the ones he had cleared off the table yesterday. It was a wonder the house was not full of bugs considering the man's appalling cleaning habits.  
"Ready to get to work, then? We can go outside to talk. It's a nice day." Muttering under his breath about impending pest problems, Hisoka followed the mage out into the front yard. Tsuzuki flopped onto the grass a few feet away from his front door. Hisoka took a seat facing him, exercising considerably more grace.  
"So," he asked. "Where do we start?"  
"Tell me what happened. I'll need to know exactly what he did before I can find a way to undo it." At the young dragon's wince, he offered a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry. I know it's hard, but I'll need to know as much as you can tell me. We can go back inside if it makes you more comfortable...."  
"No. It...it's okay. I'm fine." He took a deep breath, and Tsuzuki noticed that his hands were shaking. "Where do I start?"  
"Where ever you feel easiest starting at, as long as you don't leave out any of the casting."  
"Right. Okay. It...it started when he caught me. Do you know the effects iron has on fey creatures?" Tsuzuki nodded. "Well it affects dragons the same way. He tricked me into taking human form, and dropped an iron cage on me. I couldn't change back because of the iron...so I couldn't escape. He managed to...bind me...."   
As he was talking, Hisoka had slowly drawn his knees up to his chest, and now sat hugging them, huddled in a tight ball sitting on the mossy grass of the forest floor. His vibrant eyes were haunted as he remembered what had been done to him and related the tale to Tsuzuki.  
"He cut me...actually carved the curse into my skin with an iron knife. He didn't...didn't chant or anything, just cut me and laughed. It took him three days." Hisoka found himself unable to hold back a shudder. "I escaped when my clan came, and then I came here to seek help."  
"Your clan rescued you?"  
"...Aa."  
"Did they kill this wizard...Muraki? Or is he still alive?"  
"He's alive. I was the one sh-shamed: tricked, captured, and bespelled by a human. So I must be the one to kill him."  
Tsuzuki watched him carefully, keeping his face unreadable. Even without having overheard bits of the dragon's nightmares, he would have realized that the youth had not been telling the whole story. Large pieces were missing; pieces that probably had a much more powerful impact on Hisoka than the loss of his form. It would be these pieces that would leave scars.   
The mage bit his lip. It went against his nature to just sit by and watch someone dealing with a problem. He resisted the urge to hug Hisoka, knowing that the comfort of the gesture would be lost. It was with reluctance that he spoke.  
"Is that all? There was nothing else to the casting?"  
"...No. Nothing else."  
"Do you know what phase the moon was in at the time? Was it new? That's a common time for black magic."  
"No. It was full...and it shone red."  
"Red?" Hisoka nodded mutely in response. "But...that's impossible! The moon affects the magic-not the other way around!"  
"I know what I saw, mage." His voice was bleak, weary. "Three nights in a row...under a moon red as blood he...." Pale fists clenched around rough cloth as Hisoka fought to keep himself under control.  
After several minutes of silence Tsuzuki spoke again, keeping his voice soft. "All right. What I'm going to do then is look through my books for any type of magic like that. That will give me a better understanding of what he did, and I may even find a reversal. If I can't find out how to break the curse that way, I can try to figure it out on my own."  
Hisoka nodded, absently fingering the undyed linen of his shirt. "I'd like to help you look through your books."  
"I thought you might. I have to warn you, though: it's pretty boring. All my books are downstairs, so there isn't much sun, and they're all old spell books-no interesting stories or anything."  
"Are you implying that I'm a child?" Hisoka growled, bristling.  
"No! No! Of course not! It really is boring! For me, anyway."  
Some of the tension left the dragon's shoulders after the rushed explanation.   
"So, are we finished out here?"  
"Yeah. We can go inside and start searching for information now if you'd like."  
"The sooner, the better," Hisoka said, rising to his feet. He led the way back to the cottage, with Tsuzuki following several steps behind.  
As he approached the house, the mage frowned, troubled. From what Hisoka had told him, this Muraki was a powerful wizard. It was unheard of for the moon to change in any way during a work of magic.  
The curse itself, though, was what really bothered him. If carving the marks into Hisoka's flesh left permanent scars...then the curse would likely be permanent as well. The possibility that the young dragon would be trapped in human form for the rest of his life was very real.  
He shoved his worries to the back of his mind as he caught up with Hisoka inside. He didn't want to burden the youth with his suspicions. It wouldn't do any good to give him any reason to think the situation was hopeless when there was no proof. If it turned out that there truly was no way to break the curse, then he would tell the young dragon.  
Firmly ignoring his doubts, Tsuzuki smiled and led Hisoka to his basement library. 


	3. chapter 3

Back again for chapter three. I hope yall enjoy this chapter, 'cause Muraki's comin' back in the next one, which means things are gonna get nasty. Poor Hisoka... I love him to death, but if I don't add a plot I'm gonna lose interest from some of the nice ppl who've been reading. Plus, Muraki's just asking to get his arse kicked, so I shall eventually oblige. -niko-  
  
Hearts everyone!   
  
Pairings: Tsuzuki/Hisoka (getting closer) Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Yoko Matsushita. The setting is mine, tho.  
  
Dust particles drifted aimlessly, illuminated in the single shaft of afternoon sunlight that had found its way through the basement's only window. The pale rays veiled a small figure sitting on the floor surrounded by piles of discarded books as high as his shoulder. Another book rested in his lap, and every now and then a page would turn with the flick of his pallid wrist. He looked up, leaf green eyes turned translucent by the bleaching sunlight, as footsteps approached.  
  
Tsuzuki smiled down at Hisoka. "Find anything?" He knew the answer even before he asked the question.  
  
"Iya." The young dragon turned back to the book he had been skimming.  
  
"Well there are still plenty of books left. Why don't we take a break for now? We've been at this for hours." Hisoka looked reluctant to leave the search for his cure even for a short while, but Tsuzuki was insistent.  
  
"Come on," he said, reaching down to take the open book. "Let's go have some lunch. You haven't eaten for over a month and-I don't care what you are-you need to eat." He extended a hand to help the smaller man up.  
  
Frowning and ignoring the helping hand, Hisoka stood and dusted off his pants. He glared up at Tsuzuki, and added the annoyance of being shorter to his irritation about the delay.  
  
"I don't remember asking you to mother me when I contacted you for help."  
  
"No, but do you remember how, when you first came here, I promised that you'd be safe?"  
  
"...Aa."  
  
"Well, how would I live with myself if I let you get sick after promising that? I have to take care of you!" The words were accompanied by a cheerful smile.   
  
The feeling behind the statement took Hisoka off guard, and for several seconds he stood in surprised silence. Finally he realized how he was acting, and his expression became unreadable.  
  
"Baka. If you want to keep me healthy, you'd better let me cook." He walked past the mage and up the stairs, not looking back.  
  
"Huh? Hisoka, matte! What does that mean?" Tsuzuki pounded up the steps after his guest.  
  
~*~})|({~*~  
  
Tsuzuki's library turned out to be extensive. Five days had passed by the time Hisoka lifted the final book off of the last shelf in the half he had chosen to look through.   
  
The book was a worn and dusty old thing with a faded leather cover and yellowed parchment pages. The title on the front was barely legible, having long since lost its gold embossment, but proclaimed the volume to be "A Study of Various Curses and their Natures".  
  
Hisoka flipped through the book, trying to keep his hopes from rising. Several times before he had found books with similarly helpful seeming titles, only to discover that they held nothing of value. There was a chance that this book would be different, but until he found what he was looking for, there would be no use in getting excited.  
  
He was utterly sick of getting his hopes up for nothing. All his life he had been shown that hoping for something was useless, that nothing would come of hoping, and that if he wanted something, he would have to take matters into his own hands. So here he was, taking matters into his own hands, and he wasn't making any progress.   
  
Yet still, he couldn't entirely keep himself from hoping. Three times before, he had found something in one of Tsuzuki's books that caught his eye, and immediately called the mage's attention to the text in question. Twice they had stopped researching long enough for Tsuzuki to attempt the curse-breaking spells within the books...but to no avail. The third time, Tsuzuki had regretfully informed the dragon that the counter-curse detailed in the book was one designed to do more harm than good.  
  
Hisoka had quietly gone back to his corner of the library after hiding the book away to use as a last resort. If all else failed, he would turn to that for his revenge, consequences be damned.  
  
Before long, he had finished skimming the book. He slammed it closed, quashing the tiny hope that had arisen within him. The book had turned out to be no more than a discussion of the ramifications and morality of curse-casting. It offered him nothing useful.  
  
Suddenly the world seemed strangely distant. He felt detached, separate from everything. A tiny corner of his mind processed the information mechanically as he stared unseeing at his hands as they rested limply on the aged cover of the book still on his lap.  
  
That was the last book. There was nothing left, and he was still cursed. There was nothing else to do except convince Tsuzuki to cast the spell he'd hidden away. At least then he might have a chance at revenge.  
  
After all, why not risk it? Revenge was all he had left. He couldn't go back to his clan even if he wanted to. Not after the betrayal. Not after what they had done. Revenge on Muraki...and revenge on that conceited group of overgrown salamanders that used to be his 'family'.  
  
A hand came to rest on his shoulder, drawing his attention back to the present.  
  
"Hisoka...?" Tsuzuki stood behind him exuding an aura of muted concern. In accordance, his voice was quiet, almost hesitant as he called the dragon back to reality. "You're bleeding." He gestured to pale fists that Hisoka didn't remember clenching. Blood oozed from between his fingers as his nails reopened the almost faded cuts from a week ago.  
  
"...Aa." He shrugged away from the mage's touch, and opened his hands to stare at the garnet liquid smeared over his palms. The flow continued sluggishly, and Hisoka's shoulders began to shake with a mixture of frantic, repressed laughter and unvoiced sobs.  
  
"Hisoka?" The concern became sharper, more focused.  
  
"They won't heal." He laughed, but it was a bitter, choked sound. "Trapped in this weak body...no magic...nothing...! I can't even heal!" His tone revealed mad despair, and Tsuzuki reached out to him again, intending to lift him off the floor.  
  
"Come on, Hisoka. You need to rest. Calm down. It's going to be okay. Everything will be all right."  
  
Hisoka whipped around as he stood, half stumbling before he found his balance. He glared at Tsuzuki, angry and distraught as the weight of the situation finally crashed down on him after three months of repression.  
  
"What's going to be all right? How is anything going to be all right?! Have you found a counter-curse?" Tsuzuki flinched, and Hisoka continued his tirade. "I'm trapped in this body! Abandoned, shamed...an abomination! Tell me, mage, how things are going to be 'all right'!"  
  
"Hisoka, please just calm down!"  
  
"Answer me!"  
  
Amethyst eyes flashed as Tsuzuki shouted back. "Not until you snap out of it! Get a hold of yourself!"  
  
With his mind trapped in whirlwind of anger and pain, Hisoka leapt forward and clamped one hand around Tsuzuki's wrist. His other hand went to the mage's throat, seeking skin-to-skin contact as he grasped mentally for Tsuzuki's mind.  
  
The pain of mind reading drew a scream from his throat as he delved into the mage's thoughts and memories. He felt Tsuzuki's concern and worry first, but underneath those abstract feelings was the concrete knowledge that the curse was most likely permanent.  
  
He screamed again, in protest this time, and dug deeper, heedless of the pain. He knew, some far away part of him knew, that he wouldn't find what he wanted this way. The same part of him saw Tsuzuki's thoughts as confirmation of what he had both feared and believed deep down.  
  
Hisoka ignored that part of his consciousness as he searched for answers within Tsuzuki's mind. Nothing he felt helped.   
  
Suddenly he became aware of a darkness in the mindscape. A dark depression from years ago had been locked away under layers of optimism. Locked away, but not forgotten. As Hisoka fell into the mage's despair, his body finally gave out and he collapsed in an untidy heap on the dusty floor.  
  
Tsuzuki fell to his knees beside the unconscious dragon, and stared at him as shock, confusion, anger, concern, and fear swept through his mind. He climbed shakily to his feet and pressed a hand to his temple where he could feel a headache forming.  
  
He had never thought that Hisoka would actually become violent. Cautiously, he probed his throat, searching for cuts, scratches, or bruises left by the frantic dragon. To his relief, Hisoka had dealt him no damage, and he realized that his guest had meant him no real harm.  
  
He knelt down, and hesitantly lifted the slim form off the floor. When he felt no attempt s to read his mind once more, he shifted his grip to hold him more securely.   
  
He knew that Hisoka hadn't slept at all for five days, choosing instead to remain in the basement, skimming book after book hoping for a cure. He smiled sadly down at the troubled visage of the sleeping dragon, and wondered absently how long he would sleep this time.  
  
Just as Hisoka had seen into his mind, he had seen into Hisoka's--although he realized that part of the reason for this was that the dragon had been temporarily incapable of shielding his mind. He hadn't seen much, but what he had seen disturbed him.   
  
"It's no wonder you got so upset today," Tsuzuki murmured. "Keeping all that bottled up can't have been good for you."  
  
He carried Hisoka upstairs and into the spare bedroom where he laid him carefully on the bed and left. A glance at the wrist Hisoka had grabbed reminded him that the dragon's palms still bled. He padded into the bathroom, and wiped the drying dragon blood from his throat and wrist. A quick raid on the medicine cabinet yielded cloth, salve, and bandages to take care of Hisoka's injuries.  
  
Tsuzuki returned to the spare room. He sat down on the edge of the bed and lifted one of the dragon's hands. Carefully, he wiped around the cuts, clearing off the blood. With two fingers he applied some of the salve to cleanse and heal the cuts, then wrapped a couple turns of gauze around Hisoka's hand, just in case. He repeated the process, leaning back when both hands had been seen to.  
  
"You're only doing more damage to yourself this way," he said quietly, knowing full well that Hisoka couldn't hear him. Gently he brushed at the soft locks of honey colored hair that fanned over the dragon's face.  
  
"I'm sorry about what happened to you."  
  
On impulse, he leaned over and kissed Hisoka's forehead. He stood and turned to tuck the sheets in around the dragon, then moved to leave. As he shut the door behind him, he looked over his shoulder at Hisoka.  
  
"You must have been an amazing sight in your true form....I wish I could have seen you." Then he closed the door, leaving Hisoka alone to rest.   
  
~*~})|({~*~  
  
It was midmorning when Hisoka awoke. Slowly, his mind wandered back to the last things he remembered before passing out, as his body remained motionless. He gazed blankly at the ceiling, focused completely on what he had done, and what he would have to do now.  
  
He had actually attacked Tsuzuki. He had forced his way into the mage's mind, and judging from the lingering throbbing in his own skull, the mage had probably had a fair sized migraine to deal with afterwards.  
  
He still felt that odd detachment that had led to his pent up emotions getting loose, but now there was a heavy quality to it that hadn't been there before. He felt weighed down by the impact of what he had learned, but unable to actually feel anything about it.   
  
He was unable even to feel surprised that he had so completely lost his temper. Hadn't he been trained all his life to be calm and unfeeling at all times? Hadn't he been punished enough for displaying such undragonlike things as sadness or rage?  
  
But he wasn't really a dragon anymore, was he? Now he was something else, something that was neither dragon nor human.  
  
All the accusations, all the hatred and disgust and fear that had been rained down upon him by his clan rang fresh in his ears, and this time they were doubly true. Not only was he cursed with the unnatural ability to read the emotions of others, but now he was bound by another curse that had stolen his life.  
  
What was left for him?  
  
Footsteps sounded in the hall and paused outside the door. Hisoka shut his eyes again, and lay perfectly still, pretending to be asleep. He couldn't deal with Tsuzuki right now. He didn't have the energy to deal with an angry mage.  
  
The door creaked open just enough to allow Tsuzuki to peek into the room. For a full minute, all was silent. Then the mage pushed the door completely open, and made his way to the bed. He dropped down to sit next to Hisoka, and folded his arms loosely across his chest.  
  
"I know you're awake." The dragon didn't respond. "Just so you know, it's a dead give away if you stay so stiff. You have to relax if you're going to pretend to be asleep."  
  
Hisoka opened his eyes, but otherwise remained immobile.  
  
"You've been asleep for just over two days. How are you feeling?" Again, the dragon refused to speak. "It's actually been a very nice two days. I got to eat food that had flavor, unlike that bland stuff you cook."  
  
Finally, Hisoka moved. He sat up and folded his hands in his lap, keeping his eyes downcast. "Stop playing games with me."  
  
"Games?" Tsuzuki blinked in confusion.  
  
"Why am I still here? Why haven't you thrown me out or cursed me? Didn't I prove that elf right? Didn't I finally give you an actual reason to fear me?"  
  
"I'm not afraid of you."  
  
Hisoka lifted his eyes and stared at Tsuzuki, wearing the same cold, emotionless expression he had worn both times he had demonstrated his ability to see auras.  
  
Even though the dragon's eyes remained normal, Tsuzuki had to repress a shiver from his memories of the eerily glowing gaze. Although Hisoka's expression didn't change at all, Tsuzuki knew he had felt the uneasiness stirred by memories. He sighed.  
  
"Look, you can't judge a person based on little things like that. Shouldn't the fact that you are still here and that I've been looking after you prove that I'm not afraid of you?"  
  
Hisoka resumed staring at his hands. "Maybe you were just waiting for me to wake up before you cursed me."  
  
"I am not going to curse you. I don't know where you got the idea that I would, but I promised that you'd be safe here, and I mean to keep that promise. Hisoka...look at me." When the young dragon refused to heed the request, Tsuzuki reached over and gently turned his head. He kept his hand on Hisoka's cheek even after they had locked gazes.  
  
"I know you've been through some awful things. Tell me what happened. I want to help you."  
  
"It's none of your business."  
  
"Bottling it all up isn't helping you." Hisoka remained stubbornly silent, and Tsuzuki sighed again. "Remember how serious you were about repaying me for my help? Well I've decided to call in the debt. I've spent a week researching and well over a month looking after you. In return, I want you to trust me, and tell me what happened to you."  
  
"Then what mage? Do you honestly think you can help?" He bristled, glaring at Tsuzuki.  
  
"I can try."  
  
"Yeah, trying did a whole lot of good the first time, didn't it?"  
  
"Hisoka, please tell me."  
  
"It's none of your business!"  
  
"Trust me. Let me help you."  
  
"This isn't about trust!"  
  
"You're never going to get over this if you try to bury it."  
  
"Just leave me alone!"  
  
"Hisoka, please just--"  
  
"He raped me, okay! He trapped me in the cage so I couldn't shift, and he raped me while he cursed me!" Like opening flood gates, shouting the truth at Tsuzuki created an opening for the anger and shame within the young dragon to spill out. Furious tears blurred his vision as he clenched his fists tightly around the sheets to keep from striking out at Tsuzuki while he continued. "Are you happy now?! Is that what you wanted to hear?! I was too weak to stop him! He tortured me for three days! I begged him to let me go-and do you know what he did?! He laughed! He laughed and he tortured me!"  
  
Tsuzuki listened as Hisoka shouted his rage. He kept still, and waited for the rush of emotion to stop before he ventured a question.  
  
"But your family came for you?"  
  
"My 'family'...were the ones who sent me to him to be killed! They wanted me dead, mage! My 'family' wanted me dead! I was never good enough, was never what they wanted, all because of my empathy! I was an abomination! But they couldn't get rid of it, and they couldn't kill me themselves so they set me up! They sent me to him!  
  
"Is that what you wanted to hear? That my 'family' branded me a monster and sent me to be murdered?! That I was too weak to protect myself from a human wizard?"  
  
Tsuzuki finally moved, reaching out to gather Hisoka into a comforting embrace. At first, the dragon struggled against the contact, but Tsuzuki refused to let him pull away. As Hisoka slowly stopped pushing him away, the mage began stroking his sandy hair, offering silent reassurance. Shaking from the after effects of the emotional release, Hisoka clung to Tsuzuki's tunic, hiding his face in the soft fabric to cry.  
  
They stayed that way for a long time as Hisoka wept years worth of repressed tears. All the sadness and anger he had never been allowed to show were released in a torrential flood. Several times he tried to stop crying, remembering how he had been punished as a child for showing such undignified weakness, but the tears would choke him and continue each time. He cried until there were no tears left to shed, and the entire time he remained safe within the circle of Tsuzuki's arms.  
  
Gradually the tears subsided, and he became aware of Tsuzuki's soft-spoken reassurances.  
  
"-be all right. It'll be okay. You aren't a monster, and you aren't weak. Everything's going to be all right."  
  
"What would you know of monsters or weakness?" The words lacked the edge Hisoka had intended, and he suddenly found that he felt empty, drained of all emotion. There was nothing repressed, nothing hidden away to be dealt with in solitude.  
  
"I know a good deal about what you went through. I'm not all human, Hisoka. My father was--"  
  
"I know what you are." His voice was weary as he spoke. "I could see it in your aura."  
  
Tsuzuki nodded. "You know how paranoid everyone is. You've seen what fear and hatred look like. I've dealt with it too. Everywhere I went I discovered that people were less than welcoming when they found out I had demonic blood. I know it hurts, but you know what happened?" Hisoka shook his head, only half caring. "I came here. I met the elves, and they judged me by my actions rather than my heritage. They helped me make a home here. You could stay here too. You'd have a home, friends...almost like a real family."  
  
"What makes you think I'd want a 'real family'?"  
  
"I know. Now's not really the right time for this. What you need is to get cleaned up, eat something, and do some gardening with me." He ruffled Hisoka's hair, and helped him off the bed.  
  
The dragon followed Tsuzuki, subdued by the numb, shaky feeling that had filled him. He stood by the tub as the mage filled it, and waited silently as Tsuzuki dashed off to grab a change of clothes for him.  
  
He took his time in the bath, only half paying attention as he scrubbed. His mind had become enshrouded in a peculiar fog that made thinking about anything difficult. He dressed mechanically, and descended the stairs.  
  
Tsuzuki was waiting with a plate of various fruits, and a roll of dark bread. The mage ushered Hisoka into a chair and sat the food down in front of him.   
  
The first few bites went a long way to clearing the haze that had bogged down his thoughts, and Hisoka soon realized how hungry he was. He finished the food quickly, not caring if his manners were terrible. Tsuzuki waited quietly beside him, munching on an apple.  
  
When they had both finished, Hisoka allowed Tsuzuki to lead him outside into the backyard. Cheery sunlight poured down over the clearing, allowing the multitudes of flowers to show off their colors. Tsuzuki passed Hisoka a watering can and showed him how to draw buckets of water to fill it from a small stone well.  
  
"The flowers will help you feel better. There hasn't been too much rain, so they'll be really grateful that you're bringing them water." Tsuzuki smiled warmly at Hisoka, and retrieved a watering can for himself.  
  
They worked in silence as the sun passed across the circle of blue overhead. Hisoka was surprised to find that tending the garden actually did help. There was something relaxing about the wading through the riot of color. He wondered absently if the flowers really were grateful, and if he could feel it, but this thought was quickly dismissed.  
  
"Hisoka?"  
  
The dragon turned around to look at Tsuzuki. He wiped an arm across his forehead, removing a layer of sweat, and watched, befuddled, as Tsuzuki dropped his watering can to clamp his hands over his mouth.  
  
"Oh Hisoka! I'm sorry! I should have realized!" He hurried over to the confused dragon, and took hold of his arm to lead him back to the house.   
  
"Set that down," he instructed, meaning the watering can. He sat Hisoka down on the small couch in the sitting room, and disappeared up the stairs. Moments later he was back with a small, capped jar.  
  
"Hold still a minute." He removed the lid, and the scent of aloe and lavender rose from the jar. Tsuzuki dipped two fingers into the balm, and spread it over Hisoka's nose.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"You got sunburned." Tsuzuki smiled, but Hisoka could sense how guilty he felt. "I wasn't thinking. I should have known skin like yours would burn easily. I'm sorry."  
  
"It's nothing." Hisoka looked away after Tsuzuki finished applying the soothing mixture to his face. "Why are you so nice?" He kept his tone and face empty of feeling.  
  
Tsuzuki capped the balm and set it aside. He sat down next to the dragon and stared out the window set in the wall opposite.  
  
"...I just am, I guess." For a minute, neither spoke.  
  
"You aren't telling me the whole truth."  
  
"I suppose I'm not."  
  
"Hypocrite."  
  
Tsuzuki looked at Hisoka in surprise. "What?"  
  
"You can't leave my secrets alone, but it's fine for you to keep your own. That's hypocrisy."  
  
A small smile played across Tsuzuki's face. "I suppose you're right. Maybe someday I'll tell you."  
  
Hisoka snorted and stood, still not looking at the mage. "It's none of my business." He walked out of the room, ignoring the surprise he felt from Tsuzuki.  
  
Minutes later, Hisoka returned with the book containing the counter-curse Tsuzuki had refused to use. He flipped to the appropriate page, and thrust the book at the mage.  
  
"I want you to cast this on me."  
  
"What?" Tsuzuki glanced at the spell, and frowned. He stood, pushing the book away. "No. That spell...it won't do any good. There's only a chance that it will break your curse, but there is a certainty that you will be killed."  
  
"It doesn't matter. This is the only chance I have to get revenge."  
  
"Hisoka, I won't do it. I won't cast a spell that will kill you!"  
  
"If someone doesn't do something about Muraki, who's to say he won't do this again? I'm willing to make the sacrifice."  
  
"I promised to protect you!"  
  
"If you won't cast it, I'll find someone who will." Tsuzuki stared at him, horrified that he would be so insistent about something like this.  
  
"Hisoka...." The mage sighed. "How about we make a deal. You become my apprentice. I'll teach you my kind of magic. If by the end of your apprenticeship you still want to use the spell, I won't stop you."  
  
Hisoka eyed him warily as he thought. If he really wanted to face Muraki and win, he would need all the magical knowledge he could get. It would be helpful to learn human spells, and Tsuzuki was trustworthy.  
  
"All right. It's a deal."  
  
Tsuzuki smiled brightly and pulled Hisoka into a hug. "Good." Someone knocked at the door, and Tsuzuki pulled away. "Coming," he called, crossing to the door.   
  
Tatsumi stood outside. Tsuzuki grinned and moved to let him enter.  
  
"Come in, come in!" He shut the door, and moved to stand next to Hisoka. "Meet my new apprentice!" 


	4. chapter 4

I owe you all an apology for the last chapter. I rushed through finishing it, and I found too many mistakes and weakly written points when I finally read over it all together. Aoi has been a sloppy dragon. I'll do better this time, and I won't be so careless anymore. Keeping my writing standards up seems only fair since everyone's been so nice. Plus, I really want this to be something I can be proud of. -niko- Thanks for reading.  
  
Ah yes. Muraki. He seriously gives me the creeps. Prolly partly because Hisoka's my favorite, but still.... At any rate, the mad wizard finally makes his appearance. Can you feel the joy (heavy sarcasm)?  
  
Pairings: Tsuzuki/Hisoka (I finally figured out how to really get them together in this thing)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Yoko Matsushita. The setting is mine, tho.  
  
~*~})|({~*~  
  
It had been two months since Hisoka had agreed to become Tsuzuki's apprentice. During that time, he had started learning the basics of magic, and would often spend hours reading in the basement or tending to the gardens. Tsuzuki, in turn, learned a great deal about dragons. As time passed, Hisoka revealed more about his life, giving the mage even more insight about his pupil.  
  
Unfortunately, he never did learn to stay out of the kitchen while the dragon was cooking.  
  
"Tsuzuki! Kono baka! Didn't I tell you not to add all those spices to the stew?"  
  
"Gomen nasai!"  
  
"Out! Go find someone else to bother!"  
  
"Hisoka wa hidoi! Just 'cause you don't like food that has any flavor to it--"  
  
"Urusai! I like food that tastes good, unlike the stuff you cook!"  
  
"What's wrong with my--is that pie?"  
  
"What's it look like?"  
  
"You made apple pie for dessert? Sankyuu, Hisoka!"  
  
Tsuzuki glomped the dragon from behind, sprouting a set of puppy ears and a matching tail. The first time Hisoka had seen him do that had surprised him enough to cause him to drop a full watering can on his foot. Now, however, he had become accustomed to the random displays of genkiness.  
  
Hisoka sighed and pried his teacher off with practiced skill. Undaunted, Tsuzuki wagged his tail and bounced over to sniff at the pie.  
  
"That's for after dinner. I need bowls; the stew's almost done."  
  
Tsuzuki obligingly retrieved two bowls, letting his ears and tail disappear. He held the bowls as Hisoka ladled out portions of the thick stew, and then carried them to the table. The dragon emerged from the kitchen with a pair of spoons seconds later, and sat down across from Tsuzuki to eat.  
  
"Tatsumi wanted me to tell you hello," Tsuzuki said, before blowing carefully on a piping spoonful.  
  
Hisoka looked up. "How's he doing?"  
  
In the past two months, Hisoka had become much better acquainted with the businesslike elf. He had forgiven Tatsumi for his early mistrust, and now saw him as a trustworthy friend, though not as close a friend as Tsuzuki.   
  
Tatsumi only knew the barest details of why he had sought out Tsuzuki, and nothing of his reason for becoming the mage's apprentice. Luckily, the elf was not the type to snoop, and left Hisoka alone about private matters.  
  
"He's fine. He's asked the traders to look for colored fabric when they go out this time." Tsuzuki smiled. "I told him I was bored looking at an apprentice who only wore green and brown."  
  
Hisoka scowled and turned his attention to his dinner, ignoring the mage's quiet chuckle. He was halfway through his bowl when Tsuzuki stood, done with his serving. The mage carried his bowl and spoon to the kitchen, and returned with the pie, two plates, forks, and a knife. He cut a large slice of the warm apple pie and transferred it to his plate.  
  
"Na, Hisoka, you want some?"  
  
"Iya. I don't like sweets."  
  
"Why not? It's unnatural not to like pie."  
  
Hisoka bit back a retort about it being unnatural to have dog ears inexplicably appear and disappear. Tsuzuki shrugged, giving it up as a lost cause, and dug in to his treat. The dragon gave the tiniest smile at the amount of happiness that rolled off the mage, and finished his dinner.  
  
By the time Hisoka had cleaned and put away the dishes, Tsuzuki had finished off the apple pie, and was leaning back in his chair, content.  
  
"You're going to fall," Hisoka informed him coolly, noting that only two of the chair's legs were resting on the floor. "You'll break your neck, and then where will the village be without a mage?"  
  
Tsuzuki chuckled. "The same place they were before I came. Fifteen minutes away from this clearing."  
  
"Baka."  
  
"So. About your lessons...."  
  
"I've finished learning how to call water."   
  
Tsuzuki eyed Hisoka, unconvinced. The dragon's earlier experiments with the spell that he used to fill the tub with well water had been less than satisfactory.  
  
"I did." Jade eyes glinted in irritation. "How do you think I got the water for the stew you just ate?"  
  
"Thought it tasted funny...."  
  
"I did not call water from the selkie's pool again!"  
  
"I didn't say anything." Tsuzuki waved his arms in protest, succeeding in upsetting his already precarious balance. The chair fell over, taking the mage with it.  
  
"I told you."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, but lucky you, I didn't break my neck. If I had it would have ruined the nice little lesson I had planned for tonight."  
  
"A lesson? Now?"  
  
"Yeah, why not?"  
  
Frowning at the mage's unpredictability, Hisoka crossed his arms and shut his eyes.   
  
"What kind of lesson could a slacker like you have in mind this late?"  
  
"It's not that late. The mist hasn't even risen."  
  
"No, but it's after dinner. I've never seen you lift a finger after dinner." Leaf green eyes met laughing violet in challenge.  
  
"Well you will tonight! Come on-time for your lesson, my dear apprentice!"  
  
"I'm not your 'dear' anything," Hisoka muttered, following the grinning mage upstairs into the second floor hall. He watched as Tsuzuki pulled down a sort of trap door from the ceiling. A ladder extended from the hatch, and the square hole in the roof permitted starlight to shine down into the cottage.  
  
"This way." With another smile, Tsuzuki led the way up the ladder and onto the roof.  
  
Hisoka emerged to see his teacher reclining against the thatch. He hesitated for a moment before joining him.  
  
"So what's the lesson?"  
  
Tsuzuki pointed into the indigo circle above them. The dragon obediently looked up, expecting him to explain. Minutes passed, and the mage remained silent, watching the stars that shone overhead.  
  
"...What's the lesson?"  
  
"Shh. Relax. Just look."  
  
Trying unsuccessfully to force down annoyance at the request, Hisoka did as he was told.   
  
Below, the Forest's mist rose in its usual ghostly tendrils, swallowing up anything less than three feet tall. Crickets chirped, filling the night air with their familiar music. Other nocturnal creatures prowled under the canopy, rustling the leaf litter and undergrowth every now and then. Aside from the occasional bat, or even rarer owl, nothing moved within the field of vision of the two people who rested on the roof of the clearing's cottage.   
  
Finally, Hisoka became tired of doing nothing and sat up to glare at Tsuzuki. The mage did not seem to notice him as his violet eyes remained fixed on the heavens above. His lips curved in a tiny smile as starlight bathed his form.  
  
"Tsuzuki--"  
  
"Have you ever met a faerie, 'Soka?" The hushed quality of Tsuzuki's voice encouraged Hisoka to remain quiet as well. He shook his head, irritation slipping away.  
  
"I did once. He was lost. He had come through the veil. Have you ever heard of the veil?" Another shake of the head. "The veil is what separates this realm from the other three realms. Depending on how you open the veil, you could come out in the realm of Faerie, the place angels dwell, or the home of demons.  
  
"Faeries are special. They're the only creatures that can cross the veil freely. They can't do it anywhere, but they can go back and forth in certain places. These places are areas with high levels of natural energy; places where the veil hasn't been disturbed by the intrusion of humans and human emotions.  
  
"The faerie I met was young. He had come through the veil, but he had wandered off, and he couldn't get back home so close to a village. Especially...especially since the village had just discovered what I was."  
  
Tsuzuki's voice had become softer, and his smile had faded. Hisoka watched him carefully so as not to be noticed. The mage's mood surprised him.  
  
"It was getting dark, that's how I saw him. I was hiding just off the road outside the village, and I saw him hovering near me. He was tiny, and glowed with a soft, white light. I could feel how tired he was.  
  
"I reached out to him. I wanted to help him. He told me what had happened to him. He didn't use words, but feelings to explain. He couldn't find his way back to the glen where the veil could be parted. He was hurting because of all the fear and hate and anger from the villagers.  
  
"I helped him back to the glen, but it took a long time because I had to hide from the villagers hunting me. By the time I got there he...."  
  
Tsuzuki sighed. "He didn't make it. He had been away from home too long.  
  
"I remember...remember seeing his light go out, but it was blurred because I was crying. I hadn't been fast enough. I had let the villagers find out what I was, and their hate had poisoned him. I couldn't stand it.  
  
"That's when I promised myself that next time I wouldn't be too weak. Next time, I would be able to save someone.  
  
"Every time I look at the stars, I remember him, and I pray that his soul made it safely to the next life. And I remember my promise to myself, too, and I pray that I can keep it."  
  
Tsuzuki stopped talking, and still his eyes did not stray from the silver-dusted velvet sky above. Hisoka remained silent, caught off-guard by the story. It was the first time the mage had revealed such information about his past, and he had no idea about what to say in response.   
  
The night progressed, waxing moon sliding into view and coming to rest three quarters of the way across their circle of sky before Tsuzuki spoke again. He stretched and sat up to crawl over to the open hatch.  
  
"Lets go inside and have some more pie, ne, 'Soka?" He smiled widely, with no trace of his earlier melancholy nostalgia.  
  
Relieved to be dealing with something more familiar, Hisoka felt himself slipping into the odd routine of interaction with the mage he had developed in the past two months.  
  
"You ate all the pie, remember? And my name is 'HI-soka'."  
  
"Well then, HI-soka," the dragon frowned at Tsuzuki's light teasing. "I guess you'll just have to bake another one, ne?"  
  
"If you honestly think I'm baking another pie this late at night, you're insane as well as stupid and lazy." Hisoka followed his teacher down the ladder, and waited as the taller man closed the hatch.  
  
"I'm not lazy," he pouted.  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
"Yup. I pointed at the stars. I lifted a finger after dinner."  
  
Hisoka frowned, "Baka," and went to bed. Tsuzuki retreated to his own room, smiling fondly.  
  
~*~})|({~*~  
  
It had been over two weeks since the elven traders had left their village to barter goods in the closest town outside the Forest, and they were due back any day. So, it was with no surprise that Tsuzuki answered a knock on his door just before dinner one night to see Tatsumi standing outside.  
  
"Good evening, Tsuzuki. I came by to let you know that the traders have returned."  
  
"Honto ni? Wonderful! Come in, Tatsumi. You can have dinner with us before we go back." The elf accepted his friend's invitation with a quiet thank you, and followed Tsuzuki to the dining room. He took a seat at the table as Tsuzuki peered into the kitchen to tell Hisoka that they had a guest for supper.  
  
"Aa," the dragon replied. "That's fine. It's almost ready. Could you get the--DON'T TOUCH THOSE SPICES! Leave it be, Tsuzuki! My cooking is fine the way it is. Get the plates." Hisoka turned back to the rabbits he was roasting as Tsuzuki smiled sheepishly and did as ordered.  
  
Tatsumi chuckled as Tsuzuki emerged from the kitchen, bearing a triple set of plates, cups, forks, and knives. The mage grinned and disappeared into the kitchen again, returning moments later with a loaf of fresh bread and a large bowl of salad.  
  
"Lectured by your apprentice, Tsuzuki? I can see this idea of yours is going splendidly."  
  
Tsuzuki laughed a bit at Tatsumi's teasing. "I only bother him so he'll loosen up a bit. You know how he is."  
  
"Hai. I know. You're doing a wonderful thing, helping that one. I wouldn't have thought he could improve so much. He is much more open, even when he visits the village with you. Last week he offered to help Wakaba with her garden."  
  
"Aa. I know. He likes gardening. I've rubbed off on him in that respect, at least."  
  
"It's rude to talk about people behind their backs," Hisoka called from the kitchen.  
  
"Well hurry up and come in here then, and we'll talk about you to your face, 'Soka!"  
  
"That isn't my name, mage."  
  
"You didn't mind it yesterday, or the day before that, or the day--"  
  
"Enough!" The dragon emerged carrying the platter of roast rabbit. He offered it to Tatsumi and sat down between the elf and Tsuzuki. "Find something else to talk about."  
  
Dinner was a relatively quick, but pleasant affair. Between bites, Tsuzuki chatted animatedly about Hisoka's progress, and asked about specific goings on in the elven community. After everyone had eaten their fill, the mage stood and stretched, grinning lazily.  
  
"So Hisoka, wanna come with me to pick up the things the traders brought us?"  
  
"Iya. I have work to do here."  
  
"More work?" Tsuzuki made a face. "I know I don't assign you that much to do."  
  
"It isn't an assignment," Hisoka snapped. "It's housework because you're such a slob! Did you know that I found something actually growing on that over-stuffed chair of yours in the sitting room?"  
  
Tatsumi looked properly appalled by this statement, but Tsuzuki only laughed.  
  
"Oh good. A new addition to the garden!"  
  
Hisoka grumbled something unintelligible that was probably not very polite, and made his way to the kitchen to do the dishes.  
  
"Thank you for the meal, Hisoka-kun. Take care." The dragon nodded in acknowledgement of Tatsumi's thanks.  
  
The elf left to wait outside as Tsuzuki ducked into the kitchen, tugging on his black cloak. He walked up behind Hisoka and ruffled his hair, grinning at the half-hearted glare his apprentice shot him.  
  
"I may be gone for a while. If it takes too long to go through everything, I may not be home till tomorrow. Take care of the house, and don't try to summon anything while I'm gone!"  
  
"Baka."  
  
Tsuzuki grinned and waited until Hisoka turned away from him to scrub a plate before he leaned over and kissed the top of the dragon's head, curious as to what the reaction would be.  
  
Hisoka spun, blushing as red as one of the roses in the garden and hissed something at Tsuzuki that the mage correctly interpreted to be one of the lad's scathing draconian curses. He ducked as a dishrag came flying at his face, winked at his affronted apprentice, and dashed outside to safety.  
  
The door slammed shut, leaving Hisoka alone in the cottage. He crossed the small kitchen to retrieve the rag he had thrown at the mage, muttering mild curses under his breath.  
  
The dishes didn't take long to finish, and despite his earlier complaints about Tsuzuki's housekeeping skills, neither did the rest of his cleaning. It hadn't been an hour since the fog had risen when he finished.  
  
Rather than choosing to read or go to bed, Hisoka climbed the stairs to the second story, and pulled down the ladder to the roof. He situated himself comfortably on the thatch and gazed up at the stars, thinking.  
  
Why in the four veiled worlds had that idiot kissed him? Even with his minimal knowledge of human interaction, Hisoka realized that such actions were out of the norm for master/apprentice relationships.  
  
It was probably just more of his well-intended teasing. The dragon scowled at himself for getting confused over something so stupid. It didn't mean anything. He didn't want it to mean anything.   
  
Satisfied with his explanation, he focused his attention on the stars overhead, picking out constellations he remembered from one of Tsuzuki's astronomy books.  
  
It was well past midnight when he realized something was wrong. His body felt hot, and his thoughts were fuzzy. He shifted to get to his feet, wanting to get inside incase the feeling got worse.  
  
Suddenly the curse that had been carved into his flesh flared, burning intensely, and causing him to lose his balance and tumble off the roof. He cried out when he landed, having fallen hard on his right arm. Something had cracked upon impact, and pain shot through the limb.   
  
He stood, looking wildly back and forth amid the flowerbeds. The wizard had come. Muraki had found him. He backed toward the back door of the cottage, cradling his injured arm. The dark despair that he recognized as Muraki's empathetic signature permeated the atmosphere in the clearing, making it impossible to tell where the wizard was without seeing him.  
  
Hisoka backed into something and spun, eyes going wide with fear and hatred as he realized exactly who he had bumped into.  
  
Muraki smiled at the dragon whose form and innocence he had stolen less than a year before. He seemed part of the milky fog that he rose out of, spotless white cloak blending with the cloud tendrils that wrapped around him.  
  
"How nice to see you again, bouya." His voice caused Hisoka to shiver in fright.   
  
The dragon scowled, and stood straighter. He was no coward. He would face this disgusting human, dragon form or not.  
  
"Why are you here, demon filth?"  
  
"Such harsh words from such a little one."  
  
"I asked you why you were here, you wingless bastard."  
  
Muraki's features tightened almost imperceptibly, and Hisoka realized too late that he had made a grave error.  
  
"I seek a mage, bouya, but perhaps I shall teach you a lesson before I continue my search." He reached for Hisoka, mismatched silver eyes shining with savage pleasure as the curse flared again, drawing a scream from the dragon's throat that echoed unheard in the dark woods.  
  
Overhead the full moon shone a sickening blood red as the dragon once again fell victim to the mad wizard's lust.  
  
~*~})|({~*~  
  
Tsuzuki pushed open the door to his cottage, arms full of packages. "Tadaima! 'Soka?" He looked around, smiling as he called for the dragon. "Ne, 'Soka, you up yet?" It wasn't quite midmorning yet, but his apprentice should have been up hours ago.   
  
He dropped the packages in a pile on the dining room table, and called downstairs, frowning when he received no answer. Perhaps he had gone out to tend the garden. Tsuzuki made his way to the back door and stepped out onto the porch. A horrified gasp escaped his throat, and he froze when he beheld the sight that awaited him.  
  
Blood covered the flowerbeds, sullying the blossoms' petals. In the shadow of one of the rosebushes lay Hisoka, bruised and bloody. His skin had been sliced open in several places, some of which still bled. His clothes were several feet away, in tatters. His right arm was bent at an odd angle...and he wasn't moving.  
  
Tsuzuki broke himself out of his shock, and rushed to the dragon's side, skidding a bit as he knelt without pause in the blood-and-dew-dampened grass. He tore off his cloak and flung it over Hisoka, lifting him to wrap the cloth totally around his slim frame.  
  
"Hisoka! Hisoka, wake up! Answer me! I know you can wake up, now open your eyes! Hisoka!" The dragon's head rolled to one side, and blood oozed from the corner of his mouth, but aside from that he remained completely still. "HISOKA!"  
  
~*~})|({~*~  
  
Author's notes. Yay.  
  
Firstly, for all you ppl who believe in faeries, they ARE real. I've seen them with my own two eyes. They're about the size of the glow on a lightning bug, but they shine constantly, they don't flash on and off, and they're pure white.  
  
A selkie, btw, is a water demon thing. I don't think they're particularly nice.  
  
Also, all the stuff about the veils will be explained further in the next few chapters.  
  
There is a reason Hisoka called Muraki a 'wingless bastard', and there is a reason that pissed him off. Again, I'll go into that further in the next few chapters.  
  
Eesh. That last sentence concerning Muraki was awkward. I'm bad at describing anything even remotely citrusy. Blah. Plus I just really suck at writing Hisoka torture. I dun like it when da Hisoka-kitten gets hurt, unless he gets da rabu-rabu treatment from Tsuzuki right after.  
  
BTW, anyone ever see 'Nightmare Before Christmas'? Remember the 'Kidnap the Sandy Claws' song? Did you know that 'Muraki-san' can be substituted easily for 'the Sandy Claws'? -niko- 'Kidnap Muraki-san, chop him into bits....' ...Sorry. ^^* 


	5. chapter 5

Back again, yall! There will prolly be only one or two more chapters. Three tops with the fluff omake ending thing I've been working on. I decided the main story had gotten a tad too dramatic, so I'm working on an extra fun special chapter for after the actual story ends. Yay for fun.   
  
Coal, by the way, is said to attract money. It's energy is receptive, meaning it is of a dark, spiritual nature.  
  
Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! I have such energetic readers! -^^-   
  
~*~})|({~*~  
  
Tsuzuki set Hisoka down carefully on the sitting room sofa, hovering a moment over the slim form wrapped in his cloak, before he turned to face the curtained windows. He reached into his pocket with shaking fingers, and withdrew a piece of coal that had been wrapped carefully in silver wire and hung on a black silk cord.  
  
The coal had been one of Tatsumi's oldest focuses for magic, and over time, had become attuned to the elf. Years ago, he had given it to Tsuzuki with instructions on how to use it to summon him if the mage ever found himself in trouble.   
  
Tsuzuki had never used the talisman before, but now he feared for his apprentice, as well as the elven village. Something dangerous was prowling the forest, and the elves had to be warned.  
  
He set the stone down in a pool of shadow, and shouted into the darkness.  
  
"Tatsumi! Tatsumi, I need you here, now!"   
  
The call was all it took. Tatsumi was a Shadow Master, and shadows were everywhere. Placing the coal on the shadow had created the basic connection that would carry Tsuzuki's voice to the elf's ears.  
  
Moments after Tsuzuki had called for him, Tatsumi rose slowly out of the darkness, having used the shadows to transport himself to the mage's house.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
Tsuzuki pointed to the couch. "It's Hisoka! He's been attacked! I came home and found him like that in the garden. You have to warn the village. There's something in the woods that shouldn't be there."  
  
During Tsuzuki's brief explanation, Tatsumi stood staring at the unconscious dragon in shock. Tsuzuki's cloak covered most of him, but what could be seen was still covered in bloody gashes.  
  
"You haven't treated his wounds?"  
  
"He--I had to get you to warn the village! I was about to. Oh God...." Purple eyes widened in shock as Tsuzuki looked at Tatsumi, horrified. "I told him he'd be safe here! I promised him! Oh God...."  
  
A firm hand clamped down on the distraught mage's shoulder, stopping him before he could begin to berate himself.  
  
"Tsuzuki, you must calm down. Worrying will not help the situation."  
  
Tsuzuki nodded in response, and stepped away to go get his healing herbs and bandages.  
  
"Wait. If this thing is as dangerous as you think, I should take you and Hisoka-kun back to the village with me. You will both be safer there until whatever attacked him is killed."  
  
"But, shouldn't I--"  
  
"I will take you through the shadows. It will only take a moment, and we have bandages and salve in the village. Bring him."  
  
Obediently, Tsuzuki picked up Hisoka and carried him to where Tatsumi stood. The elf raised a hand over his head, and darkness followed to surround the three, springing up from the shadows at their feet.  
  
Traveling through whatever shadow plane they had entered provided no physical sense of motion. All there was in this place was utter darkness. For a brief moment, Tsuzuki began to lose the feeling of holding Hisoka, as well as his own feeling of self in the consuming blackness.  
  
The mage's senses returned quickly, however, and he realized that the transportation was finished. When the shadows receded, Tsuzuki found himself standing in the guest room in Tatsumi's home, the same room he had spent the night in. He looked over to thank his friend, but the elf had already gone to collect the materials to care for Hisoka's wounds.  
  
He made his way to the bed, and laid Hisoka down on top of the covers, ignoring the blood that stained the previously pristine sheets. A shudder ran through him as he stared at the pale form wrapped in what now looked like a funeral shroud.   
  
Hisoka was entirely too still and pale, and Tsuzuki lifted his left arm, checking again for a pulse. He kept his fingers on the shallow rhythm until Tatsumi returned with the supplies in a shallow basin.  
  
"I must inform the others. Will you need help?"  
  
"No. I can do it." Tsuzuki tried to smile. "Besides, I don't think he'd want anyone else to see him."  
  
Tatsumi returned the mage's shaky smile with a firm one of his own. "Hisoka-kun will pull through. He'll be fine."  
  
Tsuzuki nodded, but his eyes slid away from Tatsumi's, and the elf realized that there was more going on than just a simple attack by a wild beast. He turned to leave, but paused as Tsuzuki spoke.  
  
"Tatsumi...tell them this thing is a threat. Hisoka wasn't attacked by an animal."  
  
The elf nodded and left, making sure to shut the door firmly.  
  
Tsuzuki emptied the bucket to fill it with warm water. He spread out his cloak and picked up a cloth to begin washing the blood off the dragon's pale skin.   
  
As he washed, salved, and bandaged, he fought to keep his mind firmly on his task. It was hard to block the feelings of guilt over the incident. He felt that he should have been able to do something--anything--to keep his promise. In the end, however, he had failed again.   
  
He shoved his guilt to the back of his mind to focus on later.   
  
Harder to ignore, yet more elusive than the guilt, were fleeting thoughts about Hisoka himself. Such as how soft the pallid skin was. How lovely he looked, even injured as he was. How vulnerable....  
  
These thoughts were much, much worse than the guilt Tsuzuki placed on himself, and he berated himself mentally every time one of them surfaced. Now was neither the time nor the place to be thinking of his apprentice like that. The knowledge that he could even be having such thoughts when the dragon had just been through something so horrible added to Tsuzuki's guilt.  
  
He knew exactly what had happened to Hisoka. Raped again, in the place where he should have been the safest. No. That was wrong. The safest place would have been at the mage's side, where he would have been protected.   
  
Making promises that he couldn't keep, falling for one who would not catch him, and leaving that one alone to be hurt...he was three times the fool.  
  
Tears stung his eyes, and he wiped at them angrily, forcing himself to focus on splinting Hisoka's arm. The important thing now was to tend to the wounds. Later he could agonize over letting the dragon get hurt again. Later he could ponder his relationship with Hisoka and decide exactly what he felt for him. Later.  
  
He lifted the dragon's slim shoulders, holding him up with one arm as he began washing the blood from his back.  
  
~*~})|({~*~  
  
It was past noon by the time Tsuzuki had finished bandaging all the cuts and slashes. He checked in the small chest that stood at the foot of the bed, and found a spare blanket and a few tunics, all much too large for Hisoka. Setting the blanket aside, he pulled out a pale green tunic and slipped it over the still unconscious dragon. Sitting Hisoka carefully in a chair, he dumped the bloodstained cloak and cover in a pile on the floor before moving his apprentice back onto the bed and covering him with the clean blanket.  
  
He dragged the chair to the bedside, and dropped into it to watch over Hisoka as he slept. As his eyes wandered over his apprentice's form he allowed his feelings of guilt to flood into his mind.  
  
Hisoka's chest rose and fell with his deep, even breathing.   
  
Hadn't the cynical youth just started learning to trust him? Tsuzuki had promised safety...and then failed to protect Hisoka. There was no excuse. Checking the goods hadn't taken long at all. The reason he had stayed the night was the bottle of sake he had asked for, received, and consumed with Tatsumi in an impromptu celebration of nothing. If he had gone home as he should have instead of passing out in the elf's guest room, Hisoka would have been safe.  
  
Blood stained the cloth that bound Hisoka's right arm to its splints.   
  
How could he have let something like this happen to his charge? The wards around the house should have kept out malevolent intruders. Apparently, whoever had done this to Hisoka possessed magic at least as strong as Tsuzuki's. If their magic was stronger....   
  
How many more people would he fail to protect? What if it attacked the village?   
  
What if it killed someone?  
  
Pale lids sealed vibrant eyes as the dragon slept, bruised face tense.  
  
What if it killed Hisoka?  
  
What would he do if it returned with stronger magic to kill the youth? What would he do if he failed to protect Hisoka again? The little dragon who wanted to be so strong, yet who could be so frail, had come to mean a lot to him.  
  
What if Hisoka blamed him? How could he even begin to ask forgiveness for breaking such a promise?  
  
Blood was matted in the dragon's hair. Tsuzuki had tried his best to get it out, but the job had been impossible to complete. He reached over to gently brush some of the auburn-tinted strands away from Hisoka's face. As his fingers brushed soft skin, the dragon flinched and muttered something, opening his eyes.  
  
"Hisoka...."  
  
Wincing and groaning, Hisoka tried to push himself up to sit. He made the mistake of putting weight on his broken arm, and fell back, crying out in pain. Tsuzuki was out of his chair in an instant, arms wrapped tightly around the young dragon as he held him close.  
  
Taking care not to bump the splinted arm, Tsuzuki buried one of his hands in Hisoka's hair, and dropped his face into the crook of the dragon's neck. His other hand held Hisoka's body up against his own, as he began apologizing.  
  
Hisoka muttered something, and tried to push away. The mage shook his head, dark hair tickling the pallid neck, and held his apprentice tighter.  
  
"...stop it...!" This time when the youth tried to pull away, Tsuzuki let him.  
  
Hisoka's breathing was strained as he watched the mage. His body was one large ache, punctuated by occasional sharper pains, and the overwhelming remorse from Tsuzuki was not helping.  
  
"...Hisoka...daijobu ka?"  
  
"Stop worrying! I can't deal with that right now...."  
  
Tsuzuki understood immediately, and forced back the waves of guilt inside him.  
  
"Gomen nasai."  
  
"I know. It wasn't your fault. Shut up."   
  
Already Hisoka seemed more relaxed now that he had only the physical pain to deal with. Tsuzuki smiled at him, although it was more than a little weak, and let relief flood through him. Surely relief wouldn't hurt the dragon, and he was too happy that Hisoka had woken up not to feel good about it.  
  
A slight shiver ran through the empath, enough to catch Tsuzuki's attention.  
  
"Are you cold?" Without waiting for an answer, the mage reached out and hesitantly pulled Hisoka into another hug.  
  
The dragon's first reaction was to tense up. He pulled away a little, just enough to see what Tsuzuki would do. Sadness entered the swirl of emotion that marked the mage as he reluctantly let go. Before he could pull away completely, however, Hisoka let himself relax against Tsuzuki, and soon he felt the mage's warm arms on his back.  
  
"...You don't have to force yourself...."  
  
Hisoka shook his head, and wrapped his good arm around Tsuzuki's shoulders. He had only pulled away to ensure that the mage would let him. He didn't want the feeling of being trapped in an unwanted embrace...especially not from Tsuzuki.  
  
He shuddered, as the events of last night surfaced in his mind. Tsuzuki's embrace tightened, and Hisoka felt gentle hands stroking his back. He huddled closer to the mage, lowering his head to rest it against Tsuzuki's chest. He listened to the faint beating of the older man's heart as he tried not to think of anything.  
  
Warmth issued from the mage to wrap around him comfortingly. Part of it came simply from being held, and part of it came from his emotions. Happiness, relief, worry, guilt, and faint anger were all tinged with a comforting feeling that warmed Hisoka from the inside.   
  
He focused on these feelings as a way to escape his torment. He drew the mage's emotions into himself, filling his mind and heart with Tsuzuki, and drowning out his own pain and despair. He opened himself to everything the mage felt, good and bad, preferring the dull guilt and depression to his own sharp feelings and the taint that infected him. He welcomed it all in as Tsuzuki held him, unaware of what his apprentice was doing.  
  
Tsuzuki felt Hisoka shift, and looked down into a pair of blank leaf green eyes. The sight disturbed him in a way that was entirely different from the unnerving glow of astral sight. Hisoka's eyes slid shut as he slowly stretched up to brush his lips against Tsuzuki's.  
  
Shocked would be too mild a word to describe how the mage felt. Part of him wanted this, but it was obvious that something was very wrong. Hisoka kissed him again, knocking him out of his shock. He leaned back, keeping the dragon at a distance.  
  
"Hi-Hisoka?!"  
  
"Don't...." Hisoka's voice was soft as he looked at Tsuzuki with unseeing eyes. "Please...let me in...." He leaned closer. "Let me lose myself...."  
  
"Hisoka, you don't know what you're saying. What did you do?"  
  
"I don't want to feel this anymore.... Please...."  
  
Tsuzuki scrambled off the bed and away from its occupant. The same treacherous thoughts that had filtered through his mind as he cared for Hisoka's wounds were surfacing again.  
  
Hisoka sagged and covered his face with his hands. When he looked up again, his eyes had returned to normal. His gaze was shocked, and touched with fear. When he spoke, his voice shook.  
  
"That's what you feel? How can you...?" He cast his eyes down to hide angry, disgusted tears. "Is this body so desirable to you humans? It's disgusting. It's weak and pathetic...it sickens me to be trapped in this form!"  
  
Slowly it dawned on Tsuzuki what Hisoka meant.  
  
"Hisoka, tell me what just happened."  
  
"It's none of your busi--"  
  
"It is my business! Whatever it was it involved my feelings; that makes it my business." He stood beside the bed, and took hold of Hisoka's arm. "Tell me what you did."  
  
The dragon refused to meet his eyes. "I tried to escape. I pulled your feelings into myself so I wouldn't have to feel. ...I lost control." He was quiet for a minute as Tsuzuki digested the information. Then: "Let go of me."  
  
The mage released Hisoka's arm and sat down beside him.  
  
"Are you afraid of me?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Are you afraid of what I feel?"  
  
"...Yes."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"...Because I don't understand it. Because I don't want...that."  
  
"I'm not going to do anything. I won't hurt you."  
  
Hisoka nodded, still carefully studying the blankets.  
  
Silence stretched between them, becoming heavier as the minutes passed. Finally, Tsuzuki rose from his seat on the bed, and took a step toward the door.  
  
"Why don't I leave you alone for a whi--"  
  
"No." Immediately, Hisoka covered his mouth, unsure why he had interrupted. He kept his eyes firmly downcast as he continued the thought he had so impulsively begun. "I don't want to be alone right now."  
  
The first thing Tsuzuki felt was surprise. It was followed quickly by concern, gratitude, fondness, and that comforting warmth that usually accompanied his emotions.  
  
"All right." Hisoka glanced up at him. "I'll stay," he pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down, "right here, and keep you company."  
  
The dragon mumbled a 'thanks', and stared at the wall.  
  
Now what? He had called the mage back for no apparent reason. He wasn't sleepy, and he had nothing to say. However, the silence was becoming oppressive again, and if he didn't do something it was going to drive him insane.   
  
He sighed, and Tsuzuki looked at him, curiously.  
  
"He's looking for you," was Hisoka's soft answer to the unspoken question.  
  
"Who is?"  
  
"Muraki," Hisoka made a vague gesture indicating his injuries. He ignored his feelings, not wanting to deal with the tsunami of negativity.  
  
"He's the one who did this?" Anger was plain in his tone, and Hisoka could feel worry, sadness, and guilt building again as well.  
  
"I didn't say anything about you. He probably thought the cottage was mine."  
  
"Hisoka! Is that why he did this? You should have just told him!"  
  
The dragon shook his head. "He would have done it anyway. I wasn't going to do anything to help him, no matter what happened."  
  
"'Soka...."  
  
"I'll be fine. Let's just make sure he doesn't find you. Whatever he wants can't be good." Repressing his emotions again gave his voice a dull quality that worried Tsuzuki.  
  
"I can't just hide from him. What if he does this to someone else?" Left unspoken was the question of whether he would return for Hisoka.  
  
"What if he does this to you," the dragon snapped. "He isn't a normal wizard, Tsuzuki. He's not all human."  
  
"What is he?"  
  
"Aside from evil...? He has angel blood."  
  
Tsuzuki coughed, not sure he had heard Hisoka right. "You can't be serious...."  
  
A flat stare was his only response.  
  
"But...he can't be part angel! Angels are supposed to protect people!"  
  
"Even assuming that one ancestry would take precedence over the other, that logic doesn't work with half breeds. Look at you. You're half demon, and you don't go around killing and maiming. You're probably the most stupidly kind person I'll ever meet. Besides," Hisoka looked down, twisting the sheets in his fists. "Angels don't protect people, they protect the world. And the only reason they do that is because that's their...well, purpose. They don't do it out of love for other creatures, they do it because it's instinctive."  
  
"But nee-chan always said...."  
  
"Did she ever meet an angel?"  
  
"...No."  
  
"I have. They aren't as nice as you'd hope."   
  
Tsuzuki sighed. "How come you never mentioned what he was before?"  
  
"Wasn't important. Just like it doesn't matter what blood runs through your veins. Muraki is a very powerful, very insane, very nasty wizard. That's all there is to it."  
  
"So what are his weaknesses?"  
  
"I wouldn't know."  
  
"And you were planning on confronting him? How did you expect to win?"  
  
Hisoka's voice was barely above a whisper. "I'm not sure I did. Back then, I didn't really have any reason to live. It wouldn't have mattered if he had killed me. Now...." Hisoka shrugged. "Now I have friends, a home...I don't want to give that up. That's why I gave up on that spell." He looked at Tsuzuki, face unreadable. "Your plan worked pretty well. Not a year into my apprenticeship, and I've already given up my suicide plan."  
  
"You have no idea how relieved I am."  
  
"I'm an empath, idiot. I know exactly how relieved you are."   
  
Hisoka reached over and wrapped his good arm around the mage's shoulders, much to his surprise. At first, Tsuzuki was hesitant to return the hug.  
  
"Sorry. I won't try to lose myself again." Hisoka began to pull back, but Tsuzuki was having none of it now. He wrapped his arms around the dragon's slim form and smiled.  
  
"This is the first time you're reached out to me."  
  
Hisoka shrugged and hid a wince. "I came to you for help with the curse."  
  
"That's different."  
  
Choosing not to respond, Hisoka tightened his hug, leaning more against Tsuzuki. The mage quickly picked up on the feeling behind the shift.  
  
"Tired?"  
  
"...A bit."  
  
With a smile, the mage stood and ruffled Hisoka's hair.  
  
"I'll go find you something to eat first. After that you should get some rest."  
  
"Aa."  
  
"Be right back."   
  
He left the room and made his way to the kitchen. Tatsumi's house was a floor shorter than his cottage, consisting of a ground floor and a basement. Tsuzuki raided a fruit bowl on the counter, grabbed a knife from a drawer, and turned to find Tatsumi in the doorway.  
  
"We need a description of his attacker."  
  
"Oh. Right." Tsuzuki bit his lip. "I hadn't thought of that. I'll have to ask Hisoka what Muraki looks like."  
  
"Muraki? Isn't that...?"  
  
"The same." Tossing a sad smile to the disgusted elf, Tsuzuki returned to the guest room. Tatsumi followed silently.  
  
When he entered, Tsuzuki sat down, setting some of the fruit on the desk. He passed Hisoka a small cluster of grapes, which the dragon began devouring after thanking Tatsumi for the use of the room. Tatsumi opted to wait beside the door, as Tsuzuki picked up an apple and began slicing it.  
  
"...They need to know what he looks like. I'm sorry to have to ask you this, but--"  
  
Hisoka cut the mage off with a wave. "Don't be. It isn't your fault. He's...a little taller than you, and a little paler than me. His hair is silver. His eyes are silver too, but they're mismatched."  
  
"Mismatched?"  
  
"One of them is...different. It isn't his eye...or at least it wasn't always his eye." Tsuzuki winced as the dragon continued. "He usually wears a white cloak. Needless to say, he blends in with the mist pretty well. He has an...unsettling...aura. Anyone with any magic at all should be able to pick up on it." The mage reached over to squeeze Hisoka's hand.  
  
"It was worse for you, wasn't it?" he asked softly.  
  
"...Aa. Most people would just feel uneasy around him. The strain on my empathy nearly choked me."  
  
Wordlessly, Tsuzuki passed him a slice of apple, which he ate without tasting.  
  
"Will that description do?" He accepted another slice of apple as he questioned Tsuzuki.  
  
Tatsumi nodded when the mage looked to him for confirmation.  
  
"Yeah. That should be good."  
  
"Thank you Hisoka-kun. I apologize for having to ask you, but it was necessary. See that he gets some rest, Tsuzuki." Tatsumi nodded and left, closing the door behind him.  
  
Tsuzuki finished slicing the apple, and made sure Hisoka ate it before he let the dragon lay down.  
  
"Do you want me to stay?"  
  
"...Is it all right?"  
  
Tsuzuki smiled. He stood and stretched, then removed his boots and belt and crawled under the covers beside Hisoka.  
  
"What are you doing?!" The dragon hissed at him in alarm.  
  
"I'm getting comfortable."  
  
"Tsuzuki!"  
  
"Shhh." The mage rested his arm lightly across Hisoka's chest. "Go to sleep. I'll be right here to keep you safe."  
  
"How do you expect me to sleep like this?"  
  
"Just relax. If you don't, I'll use a sleep spell. You need rest."  
  
"You wouldn't dare."  
  
"You're right. I don't think you'd be too happy with me if I did that." Hisoka snorted. "Close your eyes. I'll watch over you."  
  
"I don't need you to protect me," the dragon muttered, letting his lids slide shut.  
  
"Of course not, but I'm going to anyway."  
  
"Baka."   
  
Tsuzuki smiled. Hisoka felt the mage's warmth envelop him, and allowed himself to fall asleep.  
  
~*~})|({~*~  
  
So, who all thought Muraki would be at least half dragon--raise your hands. Heh. And wouldn't it have been interesting if he was? Sorry to those who were hoping for it, but this worked better for my plot. Plus, I don't like Muraki. Dragons, now...I adore dragons. Always have. For me to confer dragon status on a character is a high honor indeed.   
  
They're real too, you know...just like faeries. Dragons are of an energetic/spiritual nature, and I don't think they manifest physically often (if at all), but they're real. I want to meet one.... 


	6. chapter 6

Hullo all. First off, the depiction of angels in this fic is way WAY off. Only reason I made them so weird was 'cause it suited the storyline.  
  
Sorry it's taken so long, and it still isn't over. 9_9 I've been having trouble writing this thing. I know what I WANT to happen, but getting there is taking some time. The next chapter SHOULD be the last, but I don't know how long it'll be. It may be shorter than usual. It may be longer. I'll find out when I get it written. It WILL be a double update with the omake fluff chapter I wrote.  
  
So thanks for your patience. I'll try harder to get the last chapter out in a decent amount of time.  
  
BTW, I'm sorry about Muraki. ^^* I don't write him very well apparently.  
  
The note is set off in {...}. I hope that helps. Someone, for the love of manga, tell me how to italicize! @_@ Please?  
  
Pairings: Tsuzuki/Hisoka (halfway there, more or less)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Yoko Matsushita. The setting is mine, tho. (as I seem to have forgotten last time, this disclaimer applies to chapter 5 as well ^^*)  
  
~*~})|({~*~  
  
Pain was the first thing Hisoka noticed when he woke up. His broken arm throbbed ceaselessly; background pain to the sharper ache and sting of the cuts that crisscrossed the rest of him. He winced and tried to shift into a more comfortable position, despite knowing that it was useless.   
  
Memory was the next thing to return, evidenced by his white-knuckled grip on the bed sheets as he forced the images of the mad wizard to the back of his mind. He couldn't deal with that now, not in so much detail. He looked around the room, searching for something to distract himself with.  
  
Where was Tsuzuki?  
  
He remembered the man lying down beside him to sleep--  
  
With a quick shake of his head that sent a spike of pain through his right arm, Hisoka stopped that line of thought. This was absolutely the worst time for things like that to be happening. Why had he even agreed to let Tsuzuki do that?  
  
He trusted the mage of course. If he didn't, he would never have stayed so long. The problem didn't lie with Tsuzuki exactly, but rather with what Tsuzuki felt. When Hisoka had flooded his mind with the mage's emotions, he had felt everything the man had hidden or ignored. Some of those feelings were entirely too close to what came from Muraki for the dragon's comfort.  
  
There had been attraction, desire, and lust, along with a deep despair in both of them formed from dark pasts. Tsuzuki's emotions were different, of course. Everything Muraki had felt had been tainted with controlled rage, pain, and madness. The attraction had been spawned mainly from lust. With Tsuzuki, there was a warmth that came with everything except for the despair, which was untouched by the reassuring sensation.  
  
They were all very normal emotions, really. No one could force his- or herself to feel or not to feel something. Normally Hisoka would not be bothered at all. However, the fact that such emotions could be directed at him frightened the dragon. He didn't want Tsuzuki to feel that way. He didn't want anyone to feel that way about him. What could it earn them anyway? He was scarred and scared, afraid to even consider trying to reciprocate such feelings.  
  
It was just another way he was controlled by his past. It was just another level of Muraki's curse.  
  
He scowled then, wondering how long it would be until he was rested enough to be properly furious. At this point, revenge was far from his mind. All he wanted was for the pain to leave him alone. Idly, he wondered if perhaps he was in shock.  
  
Footsteps approached outside the room, preceded by the scent of a hearty stew. The door opened, and Tsuzuki peered in, smiling brightly upon noticing that Hisoka was indeed awake.  
  
"Hello!" The cheerful greeting carried with it a warmth much stronger than that of the wan rays of sunlight that filtered through the translucent curtains over the bedside window. "I've brought you some dinner," the mage said unnecessarily, as he stepped fully into the room bearing a tray holding a steaming bowl and mug.  
  
"Thanks." Using his good arm, Hisoka pushed himself into a sitting position.   
  
Tsuzuki hurriedly set the tray down on the chest at the foot of the bed, and moved to help. He rearranged the pillows, giving Hisoka something to lean back against a bit.  
  
"You really don't have to do that."  
  
"You should be comfortable while you're recovering. I'm going to make sure to take very good care of you."  
  
"It's not really all that bad," Hisoka muttered, uncomfortable with the attention.   
  
Guilt emanated from the mage as he flashed his apprentice an empty smile, then turned to retrieve the tray.  
  
"Tsuzuki...."  
  
"This'll help make you feel better! And before you ask: no, I did not make it. Wakaba-chan sent it for you." He sat down in the chair that still stood next to the bed, and dipped a spoon into the stew. Balancing the tray on his knees, he offered the mouthful to Hisoka with a grin. "Open wide."  
  
The dragon arched an eyebrow in offended disbelief. "I am capable of eating on my own."  
  
"But your arm is broken!"  
  
"I don't need two hands to eat stew."  
  
Tsuzuki blinked. "Aren't you right-handed?"  
  
"Dragons don't favor one claw over the other, therefore even in this form, I can use either hand. I'm--what's your human word for it?--ambidextrous."  
  
"Oh." Without further argument, Tsuzuki moved the tray to Hisoka's lap, and watched as the dragon ate. He reached out to brush a lock of hair away from those vivid leaf eyes. Hisoka flinched away from his touch, and turned to regard him warily.  
  
"Don't."  
  
"But earlier you--"  
  
"I shouldn't have."  
  
Wounded by Hisoka's attitude, Tsuzuki stared at him for a long moment. Finally he stood and left, muttering an apology.  
  
Nothing about the dragon's expression or posture gave away any clues to his thoughts as he watched the mage leave. As the door closed behind Tsuzuki, however, he set the stew aside, having suddenly lost his appetite.  
  
~*~})|({~*~  
  
"He hates me," Tsuzuki stated flatly, flopping into a chair across the dining room table from Tatsumi.  
  
The elf looked up, cobalt eyes skeptical, and set aside the traders' expense report he had been looking over.  
  
"What makes you say that?"  
  
"Because he does." Seeing that his logic was not convincing his friend of the severity of the problem, Tsuzuki tried to explain better. "I like him Tatsumi, like really like him. Love him like him I think...and he found out."  
  
"I fail to see how this has you convinced that he hates you."  
  
"Isn't it obvious? Do you think he wants me to feel that way after what he's been through? He's been raped...again! Not to mention the fact that this time it was my--"  
  
"Tsuzuki." Tatsumi's tone was stern. He was not about to let the mage start blaming himself again.  
  
Tsuzuki frowned. "He hates me," the mage insisted.  
  
"Did he tell you this?"  
  
"Well...no, but...he won't let me touch him. Not in ways like that of course, but I mean he won't let me touch him at all."  
  
"Did you not tell me before that he is an empath, and therefore physical contact is oftentimes hard for him to bear?"  
  
"Well, yeah, but earlier he--" Tsuzuki broke off abruptly to stare at the tabletop.  
  
A tiny smile crept onto Tatsumi's face. He stood, and moved to stand beside Tsuzuki, resting a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. The mage looked up curiously into warm sapphire eyes.  
  
"Hisoka-kun does not hate you, Tsuzuki. If anything, he needs you more than ever right now."  
  
"But...." His violet eyes remained doubtful, and Tatsumi tightened his grip on Tsuzuki's shoulder in an attempt to reassure the mage.  
  
"He needs someone he can trust, someone to be there for him. He needs to know that there's someone who cares about him and wants to protect him. After what has happened to him, the best thing you can do for him is to make him feel safe."  
  
"I guess...."  
  
"He's going to have to cope with this one way or another. At least this time he will have someone to help him."  
  
"He had me last time," Tsuzuki mumbled, fiddling with the cuffs of his sleeves. "He just didn't want me."  
  
"Tsuzuki." Tatsumi's tone became suddenly sharp. "You are indulging in unnecessary self pity. I am not going to stand here and reassure you when it is obviously going to do no good. When you are finished blaming yourself for all that is wrong with the world, then you may talk to me about what to do about Hisoka-kun." Tatsumi moved back to his seat, and picked up the abandoned expense report, clearly ending the conversation.  
  
With a sigh, Tsuzuki stood and left the elf alone. He wandered outside into the village, hoping a walk would help clear his mind.   
  
The atmosphere in the small village had changed overnight. The elves that had been so cheerful were now grim and worried. Windows that would normally be open to admit cool breezes were shut tight, and doors that were never locked had been bolted. Pairs of trained fighters had been assigned to keep night watch, and hunters patrolled the woods nearby. Anything that could break through the wards Tsuzuki had set deserved to be treated with complete seriousness.  
  
Absentmindedly, Tsuzuki made his way out of the village and into the forest, following the narrow path that led to his cottage. The mist rose unheeded, twining around his legs as he wandered, lost in thought.  
  
According to Tatsumi, Hisoka needed him. However, Hisoka was obviously disturbed by his feelings. How much good would it do to stay with the young dragon if his very presence was distressing? Could the cure be worse than the disease?  
  
He kicked a small stone lying on the path.  
  
When had he even begun thinking of Hisoka as anything more than a friend? Even thinking of him like that had been hard at first, considering the dragon's unfriendly personality. It had taken weeks to see through the veil of apathetic unfriendliness.  
  
He kicked the stone again, watching as it skidded slantways across the dirt.  
  
Once he got to know him better, Tsuzuki had realized that being antisocial was little more than a defense mechanism. The thought that Hisoka had been forced to resort to self-imposed isolation to keep himself from being hurt saddened the mage considerably. No one should have to be so completely alone. It was painful.  
  
Another kick sent the stone back towards the center of the path.  
  
How badly was the dragon scarred? Physically he would heal, but what of the mental or spiritual wounds? After his experiences with Muraki, would he ever be able to accept how Tsuzuki felt?  
  
Muraki wasn't even the worst of it, though. It had to have been worse to know that the family that should have loved him wanted him dead. What would it take to build up trust after something like that?  
  
The fourth kick actually sent the stone a foot or two off the ground as well as several feet down the path. Tsuzuki scowled.  
  
Hisoka would find a way to overcome his past. If nothing else, the dragon was strong, and definitely not one to give in. The question was, would he be able to feel the same about Tsuzuki once he had come to terms with his pain?  
  
There was no guarantee that Hisoka would return the mage's feelings. In all his time with Tsuzuki, he had never let even a hint of affection show beyond friendship.  
  
Tsuzuki nearly laughed at that thought. Hisoka had a decidedly peculiar way of showing friendship. He was argumentative, and quick to toss off an insult whenever Tsuzuki did something particularly stupid or potentially harmful. Of course, having lived all his life restricted by draconian codes and in fear of his family, what better way to show how at ease he was with Tsuzuki than by arguing with him?  
  
He caught up to the stone, and kicked it again, sending it dancing off the path. As he continued walking, he scanned the packed dirt idly for another target.  
  
So Hisoka liked him as a friend at least. That knowledge, coupled with the fact that the dragon trusted him as much as he was able given what he had been through was comforting. If nothing else, he could at least be near the object of his affections. After all, it wasn't likely that Hisoka would leave the Forest. He had made a home here; he had found friends. Tsuzuki had done the same years ago, and would never consider leaving it all behind. Acceptance was hard to come by.  
  
Even if Hisoka did leave, who was to say Tsuzuki couldn't tag along? It might be fun to explore some more of the world. Doubtless it couldn't be as bad as before if he at least had Hisoka with him for company.  
  
All of a sudden, he became aware of a sinister presence. Looking up, he was surprised to find that his feet had taken him all the way to his cottage. He noticed movement near one of the climbing roses on the side of the house. A breath of fog separated from the flowers as he watched apprehensively. Something clicked into place in his mind, and there was no longer a tuft of mist, but a white-cloaked stranger, holding one of the scarlet blooms.  
  
The stranger looked up, eyes and skin made paler by the contrasting darkness of night. A ghost of a smile was etched on bloodless lips as he called out to Tsuzuki.  
  
"Good evening. May I ask, are you the mage I was told lives here?"  
  
There was absolutely no doubt in Tsuzuki's mind concerning the stranger's identity. He snarled, clenching his fists at his sides.  
  
"Muraki."  
  
The wizard cocked his head to the side in a show of false confusion. "You have heard of me? Ah, I know. The dragon." He smirked as Tsuzuki growled. "Such an arrogant, bothersome child but full bloods often are, wouldn't you say Tsuzuki-san?"  
  
"You know my name."  
  
"As you knew mine." Muraki glided through the fog, still wearing his mocking smile.  
  
"Why did you do that to Hisoka?"  
  
"The little one is my doll, nothing more. He is mine to keep or to break as I please." Muraki's smirk widened. "His family sold him to me."  
  
"Sent him to be murdered," Tsuzuki ground out between clenched teeth.  
  
"I admit that was their intention. However a quick death would not do for such a beautiful doll, full blood though he is. So when they tried to interfere I killed them." He shrugged off the matter nonchalantly.  
  
"And Hisoka escaped," the mage concluded grimly. "If you've come for him you can forget it. I won't let you touch him again."  
  
Muraki chuckled. "It was his misfortune to be here. I came only to find you. I require your assistance."  
  
"What makes you think I'd do anything to help you?"  
  
The wizard closed the distance between himself and Tsuzuki. This close, Tsuzuki could see exactly what Hisoka meant when he described Muraki as having mismatched eyes. The wizard's right eye was too large. Obviously not the original orb, it bulged hideously from its socket.  
  
"You have such lovely purple eyes, Tsuzuki-san. Demon's eyes...." A gasp escaped the mage, and he flinched away as Muraki caressed his cheek.   
  
"Perhaps we should continue our talk another night, after I have shown you what makes me think you'll agree to help me. Good night, Tsuzuki-san." He handed Tsuzuki the rose, and stepped off the path, disappearing quickly into the trees.  
  
The mage shook himself to regain his lost focus. "Matte!" He called, peering into the forest, but Muraki had gone. In disgust, he hurled the blossom into the dirt.  
  
Anxiety quickly took hold of his mind, and he turned to hurry back to the village. Muraki's parting words had disturbed him.  
  
He made it back to the village in record time, and headed straight for Tatsumi's cottage. Bursting through the door, he found the elf still sitting at the table.  
  
"Did anything happen while I was gone?"  
  
Tatsumi looked up at him, startled by his demeanor, and realized that something was amiss. "No. What's wrong?"  
  
Tsuzuki shook his head. He didn't want to involve anyone else any further.  
  
"Nothing. Don't worry. I'm just going to go check on Hisoka." Tatsumi nodded and returned to the report as Tsuzuki slipped into the guest room.  
  
Hisoka had fallen asleep under a tangle of blankets. Tsuzuki smiled in relief as he straightened the sheets over the slim form and smoothed down errant locks of wheat-colored hair. There had been no cause for alarm after all.  
  
Turning, he noticed the full bowl of cold stew on the chair, and guilt took the place of his relief. He should have stayed to make sure Hisoka ate properly. The dragon would need to get his strength back.  
  
A piece of paper had been folded and left beside the bowl. Had Hisoka written him a note? Setting the neglected meal aside, Tsuzuki sat down to read what was written.  
  
{Good evening, Tsuzuki-san.  
I hope now you will consider listening to my proposal. If you would like to talk with me, I will be waiting outside your charming little cottage at an hour till midnight tomorrow.  
Do tell the little one I said hello when he wakes.  
-Muraki}  
  
Before he had even finished reading, Tsuzuki was shaking. His eyes were wide, and his breathing harsh as he raised a hand weakly to cover his mouth, feeling suddenly sick.   
  
Muraki had been here, in the room with Hisoka, and no one had noticed. He could have hurt the dragon again, possibly killed him, and no one would have known until it was far too late.  
  
This was what Muraki had meant. Hisoka wouldn't be safe unless Tsuzuki was with him all the time, which was impossible, simply because Hisoka wouldn't allow it. If he wanted to keep the dragon safe, he would have to at least listen to the wizard.  
  
"What's wrong with you?"  
  
Tsuzuki jumped, and looked down to see Hisoka glaring at him. The dragon rubbed at his eyes and sat up to scowl at Tsuzuki.  
  
"It-it's nothing. Sorry to wake you." He hastily shoved the note into a pocket on his tunic.  
  
"It isn't 'nothing'. I could barely breathe through all the fear you were projecting. What's going on?"  
  
"Hisoka, you don't have to worry."  
  
"You think I'm going to let it go at that?" Resolutely, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, wincing as the motion caused his bandages to slide over the cuts.  
  
"Hisoka!" Tsuzuki jumped up and took hold of Hisoka's shoulder. "You need to lie down!"  
  
"Not until you tell me what's going on." He slid further off the mattress, rising unsteadily when his feet hit the floor.  
  
Tsuzuki picked him up, careful not to jar his broken arm. "You need rest."  
  
"Tell me what happened!"  
  
"No."  
  
"Have it your way then."   
  
As Tsuzuki laid him back down, Hisoka reached up and pressed a hand to the side of the mage's face. Tsuzuki looked at him, surprised, not realizing what Hisoka was doing until he felt a presence in his mind. He hadn't had time to push back thoughts of Muraki, and so they came easily as Hisoka searched. The dragon recoiled quickly and turned a furious glare onto Tsuzuki.  
  
"What the hell were you doing trying to hide that from me?"  
  
"It doesn't concern you," Tsuzuki replied stiffly, scowling back.  
  
"It damn well does!"  
  
"Hisoka--!"  
  
"No! Don't start treating me like some helpless child! Maybe I'm not as powerful as you, but damn it Tsuzuki, what right do you have to hide something like that from me?"  
  
"I was trying to protect you!"  
  
"From what? You think it's a good idea to keep me in the dark about his abilities? He's trying to get to you through me! How would I be any safer not knowing that he could teleport here?"  
  
"I didn't want you to worry. I'm going to protect you."  
  
"What if I don't want you to protect me?"  
  
As soon as the words left Hisoka's mouth he realized that he had hurt Tsuzuki. He looked aside so he wouldn't have to see the look on the older man's face, but he could still clearly feel the sense of rejection and sadness.   
  
He kept his gaze downcast as he asked quietly, "You're going to meet him, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes. I'm going to protect you...even if you don't want me to."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You know why. You felt it earlier."  
  
Now Hisoka looked up at him, careful to keep his face blank. "I'm important to you, then?"  
  
Tsuzuki smiled wistfully. "Very."  
  
Anger crept across Hisoka's features. "Then why are you going to him? Why take a chance like that? We don't even know all he can do! What if he kills you or something?"  
  
"If I don't go he'll come back for you."  
  
"Let him!" Tsuzuki stared in shock at the dragon. "Let him come back! Let him meet us on our terms!"  
  
"Hisoka...there's no 'us' about it. I'm the one he came looking for."  
  
"Don't you get it, you idiot? I don't want to lose you!"  
  
"You're not going to lose me."  
  
"You can't know that! You're the first person to ever give a damn about me at all! You're the first one who didn't look at me like a monster or a tool or a doll! I don't want to go back to living alone!" There were no tears in his voice, but there was a distressed edge to the anger.  
  
Tsuzuki sat down on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through Hisoka's hair, ignoring the glare still aimed at him.  
  
"Hisoka, listen to me. If I didn't meet him, and then something happened to you because of it, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. I can't let another light go out because of me." He pulled the dragon into a hug, stroking his back slowly.   
  
"Besides, what makes you think he'd kill me? He said he needs my help. I imagine I'd need to be alive to help anybody."  
  
"He's evil, Tsuzuki. He's evil and he's insane. Do you think I'm the only person he ever tortured or cursed? I've seen into his mind. Do you want to know how he got that other eye?" Tsuzuki didn't respond, and Hisoka began to explain.  
  
"Muraki is only half angel, but the angelic blood is strong in him. He was born with wings, like a full blood. However, because he had a mortal father the others saw him as an outcast. Some of them wanted to remove his wings and cast him out into this world.  
  
"Muraki knew about all of this. It twisted him, turned him hateful, and he started learning dark magic so that he could defeat those who persecuted him. The angels found out, and finally decided that he should be cast out. One of their strongest was sent to cut off his wings, and send him through the veil.  
  
"He succeeded, but it cost him dearly later. Muraki gouged out one of the angel's eyes, and traded his own eye for it. He placed a curse on the eye that caused the angel to see all he saw. Then he sought out the angel's son.  
  
"He was young. He looked a lot like me, except his hair was darker. Muraki found him and tore his wings off. He raped him, and sliced him, and eventually killed him. All the while, the kid's father could see exactly what was happening as if he were doing it."  
  
Hisoka stared at the fabric of the mage's tunic, shivering. "It was bad, Tsuzuki. I saw the whole thing in his mind. You don't know....  
  
"That's why I don't want you to go. Nothing good could come of dealing with a creature like that. We should wait and make him come to us."  
  
Tsuzuki shook his head 'no'. "There are too many ways that could go wrong. There are too many people he could involve aside from you." His voice was soft, but his hands were clenched in trembling fists around the back of Hisoka's tunic, and the dragon could feel his hidden anger.  
  
"Fine...but I'm going too."  
  
"No."  
  
Hisoka shoved Tsuzuki away to glare at him. The mage glared right back, and Hisoka sighed, deciding to employ logic for this argument.  
  
"You can't leave me here. He teleports. He could pop in, kill me, and be back before you arrived."  
  
"I'll ask Tatsumi to stay with you."  
  
"Tsuzuki!"  
  
"We can argue about this later. It's getting late, and you need sleep."  
  
"I'm not a child."  
  
"Fine. It's getting late, and I need sleep. Happy?"  
  
"Ecstatic." Hisoka pronounced, his tone revealing that he was anything but.  
  
Tsuzuki chuckled and stood, making 'shoo'-ing motions at his apprentice. "Scoot over."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I'm going to stay with you again."  
  
"No you're not."  
  
"Why not? I thought you trusted me."  
  
"I do. That doesn't mean I want those emotions of yours sleeping next to me."  
  
Tsuzuki pouted. "You're so mean. This is the only extra bed Tatsumi has and his couch is too short!"  
  
"So throw some pillows on the floor in here."  
  
"That's not comfortable."  
  
"Fine." Hisoka growled and stood up, resting a hand on the back of the chair to steady himself. "You take the bed and I'll sleep on the floor."  
  
"You can't do that!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because you're injured!"  
  
"Tsuzuki, before I came here, I slept on stone every night. This at least is considerably more even."  
  
"You're too stubborn," grumbled Tsuzuki. He moved to the bed and began shifting the pillows and blankets around as Hisoka wandered to the chest to retrieve a few extra sheets. Before the dragon could even begin to lift the lid, however, Tsuzuki scooped him up from behind.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?!"  
  
"I found a solution."  
  
"Did you?"  
  
Ignoring Hisoka's sarcasm, Tsuzuki nodded and sat him down on one side of the bed. He crawled in on the other, and reached out to pull his apprentice into his lap. Smiling, he leaned back into the pillows he had stacked against the headboard, and tugged the blankets up over both of them.  
  
"How is this a solution?"  
  
"Well, neither of us is on the floor, and you only said that you didn't want me next to you. You didn't say anything about under you."  
  
"Baka! This is worse! At least when you were next to me you didn't have your hands all over me! Let go!"  
  
Tsuzuki pouted, but did as he was told, moving the pillows back to where they were as Hisoka slid off him. He moved to get up, wondering if Tatsumi would have enough blankets to make the floor even a little comfortable.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"Huh? Don't I have to sleep on the floor?"  
  
"Baka." Hisoka fixed him with a warning stare. "Just keep your hands to yourself."  
  
"Haaaai!" Tsuzuki smiled widely, wagging his tail.   
  
"I'm serious. You try anything funny and I'll knock you right off the bed, injuries or no."  
  
"Are you really that uncomfortable around me now? I didn't try anything last night."  
  
Hisoka didn't answer, choosing instead to busy himself with finding a comfortable position to sleep in.  
  
Tsuzuki smiled and waited for the dragon to get settled. He reached over to ruffle Hisoka's hair, then curled up under the covers.  
  
"Oyasumi, Hisoka."  
  
"...Oyasumi." 


	7. chapter 7 ph33r my originality

I am SO sorry this is taking so long. Honestly, I'm definitely not the brightest crayon in the box, posting this long thing without having it entirely finished beforehand. I know I said this would be the last chapter, but guess what...I apparently suck at estimating story length. There's one final chapter, but Imbrii, who very generously read through it for me, said it probably needed a more definite ending, so I'll need to fix that. (And just in case that comes out sounding sarcastic, it was NOT. I am extremely grateful for whatever help/tips/criticism I get that can help me write better.)   
  
I swear I'm not delaying this on purpose. I really don't want to be a bother. ^^* I've learned my lesson about multi-chapter stories, though. I am never posing one of those here again until I have the whole thing finished.  
  
So, the situation as it stands is that the final chapter just needs to have a few loose ends tied off, the second half of the omake chapter needs to be rewritten, and I am rather short on time due to massive amounts of schoolwork. I promised earlier that the omake and the last chapter would be posted at the same time, but if y'all want me to post the final chapter as soon as it's fixed and you don't mind waiting for the omake, please let me know. Otherwise, I'm sticking to my promise, and it'll prolly be a bit of a wait. Again, very sorry about this, but at least that way I won't be slow and a promise-breaker at the same time.  
  
Peridot is a charming little almost-olive green stone, translucent just like quartz, and a very nice description of Hisoka-kitten's eye color.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Yoko Matsushita. The setting is mine, tho.  
  
~*~})|({~*~  
  
To say that Tsuzuki had become slightly overprotective of his apprentice would be a great understatement. The argument that began when he insisted that Hisoka eat breakfast in bed lasted until Tatsumi finally tired of the racket and swooped in, trailing agitated shadows behind him. Towering over Tsuzuki who flinched away from the grasping forms of darkness, the irate Shadow Master soon pronounced Hisoka well enough to walk to the dining room.  
  
The dragon immediately took to his feet as Tsuzuki complained that he needed rest. Tatsumi lectured him shortly on how absurd he was acting, and the mage pouted, but stopped trying to prevent Hisoka from walking around. To make himself feel better, he created a sling to support the dragon's broken arm.  
  
Fortunately, Tsuzuki remembered the previous night's demonstration and didn't attempt to feed Hisoka himself. However, convinced that the dragon somehow was not getting enough nutrition to heal properly, he heaped a plate with three times the amount of food his apprentice normally ate. That earned him lectures from both Hisoka and Tatsumi on not treating the dragon like a child, and not wasting food. He remained sullenly silent through the rest of the meal.  
  
Of course, when Hisoka insisted on taking a bath after breakfast, a whole new argument started. Tsuzuki insisted that he would need help, especially with the re-bandaging afterwards. Hisoka, however, was having none of it.  
  
"Absolutely not! I'm not helpless!"  
  
"No, but you need help for this!"  
  
"Oh no I don't!"  
  
"Oh yes you--hey! Where are you going?"  
  
"To take a bath! I refuse to spend anymore time covered in dirt and blood!"  
  
"But how are you going to take care of yourself afterwards when you can only use one arm? You can't just leave everything open!"  
  
"I'll manage! I don't need your help!"  
  
"Yes you do! You're just too stubborn to admit it!"  
  
"I am not too stubborn! I know what I'm doing! Quit worrying at me!"  
  
"'Worrying at' you? I am not 'worrying at' you! I'm trying to help!"  
  
"Well I don't need help!"  
  
"Yes you do! What's the problem anyways? I'm the one who bound your wounds in the first place!"  
  
"So that's it!"  
  
"So what's it?"  
  
"You just want an excuse to get your hands on me!"  
  
"Are you calling me a pervert?!"  
  
Hisoka suddenly realized that the argument had gone too far. The insinuation that Tsuzuki could have a reason like that for insisting on helping had deeply wounded the mage. He cast remorseful peridot eyes downward, ashamed for saying something so horrible.  
  
"I didn't mean it like that," he muttered.  
  
Tsuzuki flapped his hand at Hisoka in a gesture of dismissal. "Of course not. Don't worry about it--just go take your bath."  
  
The dragon's shoulders slumped as he padded back to the guest room to pick up a change of clothes. Despite his attempt to brush off Hisoka's slip of the tongue, it was painfully obvious that Tsuzuki was upset. He sighed, annoyed and upset himself, and made his way into the bathroom to clean up and calm down.  
  
Half an hour later, Hisoka had managed to, literally single handedly, clean the blood and dirt off his skin and out of his hair. He watched the ripples on the surface of the water for several minutes before he climbed out of the tub.  
  
Ignoring the tangle of bandages he had dropped on the floor earlier, he picked up a towel. With a scowl he began carefully drying himself, cursing his obstinacy. This really would have been a lot easier with Tsuzuki's help. What was the worst that could have happened? The mage was trustworthy, honorable. He had no ulterior motives behind his desire to help.  
  
Slowly it dawned on Hisoka that he could feel the mage outside the door; hesitant, anxious, and concerned. Blast the man, he knew that Hisoka needed help, but he also knew that the dragon's pride would neither let him ask for it, nor accept an offer.  
  
Hisoka threw the wet towel aside and turned his scowl to his broken arm. He had left it in the sling while he bathed to keep the useless thing from flopping around and becoming worse.  
  
Brittle human bones, he thought with disgust.  
  
Now, however, it seemed like that had been a mistake. The sling was almost painfully heavy, dripping excess water and cutting into him where it hooked over his shoulder. Tugging at the knots, he found that the water had made it impossible to loosen them single handedly. Hisoka swore.  
  
"Hisoka?" The hesitant call came from Tsuzuki. "You okay?"  
  
"...I can't get the sling off."  
  
"You left it on?" He could picture the incredulity on the man's face.  
  
"You said my arm needed support!"  
  
Tsuzuki sighed. "Would you like me to try and see if I can get it off?" His offer was met with silence. "I'm coming in," he called, opening the door slowly.  
  
Tsuzuki's entrance was met by an apprehensive glare from Hisoka as he stood naked beside the tub. The dragon stood tense, but said nothing as Tsuzuki closed the door and drew closer.  
  
"Here, why don't we wrap a towel around your waist while I fix that?"  
  
Still, Hisoka remained silent, providing what little help he could as the mage pulled out a towel and turned it round his slim hips.  
  
To a dragon, there was nothing shameful about nudity. What need had the great scaled mages for clothes, after all? Dragons knew enough to conceal themselves behind fabric around humans in human form, but few ever found themselves embarrassed by such things.  
  
Most, however, did not understand the dangers associated with human lust. It was a rare dragon indeed that realized humans could be thoughtlessly attracted to form rather than character. Hisoka understood this well, and so was wary, but not ashamed, to be seen unclothed.  
  
However, Tsuzuki's emotions as he inspected the sling's knots were all caring and concern and that curious warmth, and Hisoka found himself relaxing ever so slightly.  
  
Tugging futilely at the knots, Tsuzuki sighed. "I'm going to have to cut it and make a new one. I can't get it undone."  
  
The dragon shrugged. Watching the mage slowly pull out a small belt knife, Hisoka repressed an irritated sigh. Pride kept him from rushing Tsuzuki. He had neither asked for help nor actually agreed to it. Asking the mage to stop being so careful about startling him would be like backing down.  
  
Tsuzuki caught on to his irritation and cut quickly through the sling. The two exchanged no words as he moved on to unwrapping and re-splinting the arm. As he worked, he covertly inspected the slashes across Hisoka's chest, determining that they too should be re-bandaged.  
  
The room was silent save for the rustle of cloth as Tsuzuki checked wounds, salving and wrapping the worst. To speak would have been to acknowledge that Hisoka needed help, that he had been unable to take care of himself. Knowing that, both accepted the silence as necessary, though Tsuzuki wished Hisoka would realize that there was nothing wrong with needing someone.  
  
He clapped the dragon lightly on the shoulder and backed away when he finished. Hisoka dropped onto a stool and examined his legs as Tsuzuki looked on. Tugging the towel back and forth, Hisoka was able to check the cuts while keeping himself mostly covered. As he ran his fingers over the outside of his thigh, he winced and looked down at the scarlet-stained tips.  
  
It was simple enough to retrieve a roll of clean gauze and lay one end over his bleeding limb, but when it came to wrapping the cloth under and around his leg to bind the wound, Hisoka found himself stumped. He frowned at the gauze as a larger set of hands entered his vision, covering his own pale fingers.  
  
"I'll do it."  
  
Jade eyes glittered with irritation. "I don't need your help. I can do it myself."  
  
"Of course." Tsuzuki smiled. "I just thought that it might go a bit quicker if I did it." To placate his apprentice he added: "I've had more practice."  
  
Hisoka looked away and let go of the gauze, dropping his arm to his side as Tsuzuki knelt and began to pass the cloth around his leg. The mage was gentle as he worked, and the occasional skin-on-skin brushes sent reassuring waves of care into Hisoka. The dragon inhaled deeply, taking in the man's scent: a combination of earth, cinnamon, and clean clothes.  
  
Something about the situation, about how Tsuzuki seemed to embody comfort and safety, finally broke through Hisoka's resolve to forget about the attack. He closed his eyes and held himself still, trying not to let the furious, shamed tears fall from between his lashes.  
  
It was several long moments before a tear plipped onto the back of Tsuzuki's hand, alerting him to the situation. Looking up from his task, he immediately dropped the gauze and wrapped his arms around Hisoka's bare shoulders, trying to project reassurance and care through the contact.  
  
Left fist clenched resolutely at his side, Hisoka fought harder against the tears he didn't want to shed. Wasn't it bad enough that he couldn't even take care of the wounds on his own? This dependency on others scared him. He sniffed and sat rigid, tensing his shoulders until it hurt to keep them from shaking.  
  
"It's okay to accept comfort." Tsuzuki's voice was low and soft...soothing. "It's okay to believe in people."  
  
Hisoka bit his tongue, squeezing his eyes closed tighter to stop the saline flow.  
  
"I'm not your family, Hisoka. I'm your friend. You chose me just as I chose you. I want to help you."  
  
"I don't...need...help."  
  
"Everyone needs help sometimes. Are you afraid I'll think less of you if you admit it?"  
  
"No." That had been a blatant lie, and both of them realized it.  
  
The mage pulled back a bit, sliding his hands to rest on the dragon's shoulders.  
  
"Look at me, Hisoka. Let me see your eyes."  
  
Slowly he complied, looking up to see Tsuzuki's warm smile.  
  
"I just want to help you. I don't want to see you hurt or in pain." Hesitantly, he reached up to brush a lock of damp hair away from Hisoka's face. "I know that you probably don't want to hear this right now, but I really do love you. You mean a lot to me, and that isn't something that's just going to go away because you couldn't bandage yourself with only one good arm." A short breath of a laugh escaped him at the absurdity of that idea. "You've been through a lot, and I'm here for you if you need to let it out."  
  
He meant it, every bit of it, but Hisoka had regained control. He'd always been taught to seek out weakness, both in himself and in others. His weakness was emotion, and developing complete control had been a necessity. The momentary lapse that had led to the tears had passed, and he schooled his features back into the calm expression that gave nothing away. Tsuzuki's smile faltered.  
  
"Hisoka...." He sighed shortly and turned his attention back to bandaging the wound. "All right. Almost done."  
  
Watching the mage evenly as he worked, Hisoka focused on the events to come as they had been laid out. Tonight Tsuzuki would go to confront Muraki. At worst, the mage would be killed. There wasn't much of an 'at best' scenario, since killing Muraki would be the only way to stop him, and that option would probably end up making Tsuzuki feel guilty for taking a life. Either way, Hisoka planned to be there for whatever happened. He just had to find a way around whoever Tsuzuki set to watch him, which he realized would probably be the easiest thing he would have to do.  
  
~*~})|({~*~  
  
It wasn't until just after dinner that Tsuzuki made any mention at all of meeting Muraki. Hisoka was tucked into a large armchair, reading and listening to Tsuzuki and Tatsumi chat as they cleaned up the kitchen.  
  
"I've got to refresh the wards around the village tonight. Would you do me a favor and make sure Hisoka gets some sleep? The spell has to be cast fairly late, and I don't want him wandering after me instead of resting."  
  
Tatsumi paused and turned to look at Tsuzuki. "You're lying," he said flatly.  
  
Hisoka smirked, looking up from his book to watch. Tsuzuki was going to have a hard time explaining this.  
  
"Not entirely. I really don't want Hisoka following me."  
  
"Tell him why, mage."  
  
Tsuzuki shot a look of exasperation in Hisoka's direction. Tatsumi shifted, crossing his arms in a subtle change of demeanor that demanded seriousness.  
  
"What precisely is happening tonight?"  
  
With a defeated sigh, Tsuzuki walked past him into the sitting room, knowing he was caught. Tatsumi followed sedately behind, waiting as the mage dropped down onto the couch, and frowned at Hisoka again. He hunched over to stare at his hands as they lay limp in his lap.  
  
"Muraki has requested that I meet with him."  
  
"Explain, please, why you would consider this. If he is as dangerous as Hisoka-kun says--"  
  
"That's just it! He's every bit as dangerous as Hisoka says." Cloth rustled for a moment as Tsuzuki rummaged through one of his pockets, fishing out a crumpled slip of paper. He passed the note gravely to Tatsumi. "He left this in Hisoka's room last night. Came and went while he was sleeping."  
  
The elf's silence weighed heavily for a long minute. It was his house that had been broken into, and a guest in his charge that had been threatened, however subtly. It was unforgivable that such things should have happened, more so when the people he cared about were endangered.  
  
"I see your dilemma," he said slowly. "I will accompany you."  
  
"No! Tatsumi, you can't. I need you to stay with Hisoka."  
  
"I don't need a babysitter," the dragon snarled.  
  
"You don't need to get involved."  
  
"I was involved long before you ever met me! I've a right to face him!"  
  
"Is that what this is? Some sort of power trip/vengeance thing? Hisoka, you need to stay out of his way right now. You're already hurt, he could--"  
  
"You've got no right to keep me from going."  
  
Tsuzuki's eyes flashed, harsh and gem-like. "I am your master, little mage-to-be, and I am ordering you to stay here."  
  
"I'm resigning from my apprenticeship if this is what it's gonna cost me!"  
  
Tatsumi cleared his throat, effectively silencing the pair. They looked up at him, both demanding silently to be judged right. He stared evenly at both of them before pronouncing his judgment.  
  
"Hisoka-kun shall stay with me while Tsuzuki goes to speak with the wizard."  
  
"I'm not--" Hisoka's protest halted as the elf raised a hand for silence.  
  
"I will keep an eye on Tsuzuki through the shadows. If anything goes wrong, I will bring him back."  
  
"And if you can't?" The dragon glared as he challenged Tatsumi, switching to astral sight. "What if he turns out to be a shadow user?"  
  
"He is not. I would know if it were so."  
  
"Hisoka, just once quit being so stubborn! I'll come back, I swear."  
  
"What have I told you about making promises you can't keep?"  
  
"'Soka...."  
  
He looked away from Tsuzuki's pleading face, gaze focusing on one of the bare walls of Tatsumi's sitting room. The elf slipped out to go finish cleaning the kitchen. Tsuzuki remained motionless, watching.  
  
"Do what you want."  
  
The mage sighed and reached over to brush at the bangs that shadowed Hisoka's forehead. He placed a quick kiss on the uncovered skin, pretending to ignore the dragon's wince as Hisoka was pretending to ignore him.  
  
"I will come back," he whispered.  
  
The next several hours were passed in a tense almost-silence. Tatsumi wandered around in what would have been a casual house cleaning routine, save for the late hour and his unnatural attention to the tiniest of details. Tsuzuki meandered about for no apparent reason, trailing anxiety and no small amount of guilt as he went. Hisoka sat still in his chair, reading the same page of his book four times while trying not to look like he was going crazy from the attempts to simulate a casual atmosphere.  
  
Twenty minutes before eleven, Tsuzuki's path led him to the front door of the cottage. His demeanor had changed, taking on grim purpose in place of the consuming dread that had filled him to that point.  
  
Tatsumi entered the room as he was tugging on his cloak. The elf stood in the doorway that led to the kitchen, his iron control over his emotions a blessing to Hisoka's strained empathy. He seemed completely timeless, a pillar of quiet support, unshakeable by any circumstances. Hisoka envied him that control and strength, respecting him for it at the same time.  
  
Gentle hands entered Hisoka's view, closing his book with a hollow thud. Looking up, he saw Tsuzuki, almost too close for comfort, watching him. He looked away from the mage's kind smile.  
  
"Are you so angry that you aren't even going to say goodbye?"  
  
"...Among the dragons, when one has to leave on a difficult task, no one treats it as anything out of the ordinary. To focus so readily on the danger is to invite misfortune." He looked up, expression still revealing nothing. "I'll see you in a little while."  
  
Hisoka tugged his book out of Tsuzuki's grip and opened it again to continue reading. It had certainly not been the reaction Tsuzuki had expected, and he wondered if Hisoka had actually given up on following him. Somehow, the idea didn't seem very likely.  
  
Tatsumi had moved to stand beside the door, waiting to wish Tsuzuki well as he left. He smiled, just a little bit, to reassure his friend that he would be watching and waiting, ready to help if needed.  
  
Tsuzuki returned the smile, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at Hisoka. "Keep an eye on him. I'll be back soon."  
  
He stepped out into the night, playful breezes tugging at his cloak as he was swallowed by the mist. Tatsumi stared out after him, wishing his vision could follow the mage further. Beside him, the slight sound of bare feet against wood signaled Hisoka's approach.  
  
The dragon stopped just beside Tatsumi, seemingly having no desire to chase after Tsuzuki. His posture was relaxed and his expression calm, but his eyes were lit once again by the strange light that meant he was seeing more than what was apparent on the physical plane. His attention was locked on a point in the fog that Tatsumi was sure was Tsuzuki, though he could not see the man himself. For the briefest of moments as he studied the young dragon, that intent gaze reminded him of nothing less than a cat following the movements of its next meal.  
  
Frowning vaguely he dismissed the notion, staring out at the glimmering cloud that blanketed the village. Beautiful, ethereal, mysterious...the silver vapor was all of these things, but at that point in time, Tatsumi cursed it for limiting his vision, denying him the chance to watch over his friend without peering into the darkness of shadows to do so.  
  
"Who created the fog?"  
  
For all that the tone was subdued, the question was abrupt and startled Tatsumi out of his thoughts. He looked once again to Hisoka, who stood just has he had earlier, peering out at the mist with that eerie gaze that caught so much more than most.  
  
"I beg your pardon?"  
  
"The fog...mist...whatever it is.... Who created it?"  
  
"The mist simply is. It always has been."  
  
"It shouldn't be." His eyes narrowed. "I told Tsuzuki before: that mist isn't natural. He didn't know anything about it. Now you tell me there's nothing wrong with it...." He broke off, still staring into the earth-bound cloud. "Do elves not have a connection to nature?"  
  
"Of course. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Would you be able to sense if something was intrinsically unnatural about the mist? If there was something wrong about it?"  
  
"There is nothing wrong with the mist."  
  
Hisoka hissed a draconian swear, one that Tsuzuki had once related a translation of to the elf. He adjusted his glasses in disapproval.  
  
"Was that necessary?"  
  
"There's too much magic out there for that to be natural."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"That mist is nothing more than condensed magic. The way it shines.... I want to know where it came from and what it's for, because I have never heard of magic doing this anywhere else...especially not naturally."  
  
"And how do you know that the 'shine' is not merely the mist itself?"  
  
Finally Hisoka turned his gaze away from the night outside to look up at Tatsumi. His eyes continued to glow, though there was the slightest change in the light. It seemed bluer almost, making his peridot eyes darker, more set apart from his pallid face. Those slitted eyes were nearly hypnotic: pools of steady-lit emerald, deep and calm, masking buried power. Tatsumi shook his head, pressing slender fingers to his temple. He'd read once that the gaze of a dragon could entrance the unwary. Now he could see why. It was little wonder Tsuzuki had fallen for such an enchanting creature.  
  
Hisoka did not seem to notice. He was gesturing at the shadowed expanse beyond the door. Frustration colored his speech, and his fangs glinted as he talked.  
  
"Are my eyes glowing or not? It happens when I look at something with power, energy, magic. Do you see anyone out there to provide an aura for my eyes to reflect?"  
  
"It does not matter whether the mist is magical or not. It has existed for centuries just as it is. I see no reason to become worked up over it."  
  
Hisoka muttered something unintelligible and turned away as Tatsumi closed the door. The elf moved to a corner of the room which housed a tall, thinly cushioned chair. Behind it, an oil lamp was braced on the wall. As he sat, he could easily look down into the pool of shadow on the floor. It made for a perfect place to scry.  
  
He settled himself easily into a routine of meditative breathing which would make calling on the shadows easier. Soon the darkness began to shift, and not long after that he could make out Tsuzuki's figure striding through the woods.  
  
"I suppose you're still not going to let me go after him, are you?" Hisoka had moved to stand beside him. He watched the elf carefully, noting his concentration on the shadow image.  
  
"No. Tsuzuki was right to ask you to stay behind. It is safer here."  
  
"Being safe here won't help him."  
  
"Knowing you are safe will help more than you realize."  
  
There was a pause. "I suppose.... That's all right, though. He won't know I've left unless I let him."  
  
Tatsumi looked up at him and the image wavered. "What do you--"  
  
He was cut off as Hisoka grabbed his hand, forcing entry into his mind. Tatsumi's mental shields were strong, but no match for even a self-trained empath. All he had to do was break through those shields, and he would be able to loosen the elf's protective spells. From there, it was a simple matter to cast a sleep spell. In less than five minutes, Tatsumi was slumped unconscious in his chair and the shadows in the room were nothing more than patches of darkness.  
  
"I'm going to be there whether any of you like it or not." So saying, Hisoka spun on his heel and hurried out of the cottage. 


	8. chapter 8

READ THIS PLEASE: The chapter right after this one is what happened when I tried to wrap up the story. It leads straight into a sequel that I prolly will not write unless there is a lot of interest from a lot of very patient people. I will explain further at the end of that chapter exactly why I did not just leave it be.  
  
Okay...this is the last official chapter for those who want a happy, that's-that-and-they're-a-couple ending. The chapter after the next one is the omake chapter I promised, though I had to alter it so that it would fit in with the ninth chapter.  
  
Also, I BEG you, please criticize this. Half the reason I write fanfiction is so I can improve my writing skills, but I need a bit of help to see what needs work. My AIM addy is on my bio page if you want to talk to me about how I can improve. Thanks.  
  
Digitalized: Thank you for ph33ring my originality. ; ; No one else ever ph33rs me. I need to be more like Tatsumi-san.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Yoko Matsushita. The setting is mine, tho.  
  
})({  
  
The forest around Tsuzuki's cottage was silent, save for the soft rasp of his feet against the dusty path. Nothing stirred under cover of the fog, or even in the heights of the trees. The bats and owls were just as conspicuously absent as their prey. No creature of the Forest was born without being able to sense somehow if anything was wrong within their home. Tsuzuki took notice of their silence and broadened his awareness.  
  
Faintly, ever so faintly, he could feel Muraki's presence around him. It was muted, muddled, and he realized with a start that the mist was absorbing it. The wizard's energy would be spread throughout the entire forest; soaked up like water in a sponge.  
  
Laughter rang out from the garden, and Muraki was all of a sudden visible, as if he'd been standing near the roses all along. It was the same clinging rose bush he had stood near at the start of their first encounter, and again he stepped away holding a blossom.  
  
"You've noticed my magic." His amusement and the calm certainty that came with it grated on Tsuzuki's nerves.  
  
"I came as you asked. What did you have to discuss?"  
  
Muraki studied the rose for a moment, as if considering his answer, before looking up to regard Tsuzuki.  
  
"Monster."  
  
Emotionless though it was, the word struck with a jolt, rooting Tsuzuki to the spot. He watched in silent horror as Muraki glided closer through the mist.  
  
"Demon. Filthy half-breed." He paused. "They called you these things and worse. Yet...you kept wanting to stay with them."  
  
"How...?"  
  
Muraki smiled. "I've been searching for you for a while now. Since I first heard about you five years ago."  
  
Tsuzuki paled.  
  
"You must have heard the rumors, even traveling in such a hurry as you were in. I admit, I wasn't sure I would be able to find you considering how little I had to go on and how vague your tracks were."  
  
"No...no, I didn't.... I didn't...!"  
  
"Didn't hear the rumors?" He circled Tsuzuki, false confusion coloring his voice as he played out his game. "You didn't hear about that poor town? How they killed a girl for bringing a demon into their midst?"  
  
"...Stop it...!"  
  
Muraki's circles wound tighter, eyes never leaving his prey. He reached out, trailing his fingers lightly from the top of Tsuzuki's ear to the point of his jaw, drinking in the sight of him, enjoying his guilt and the shudder that came from the touch.  
  
"You never heard about how the demon escaped? Or about how it went mad?" He leaned closer, letting his lips brush over Tsuzuki's other ear. "Would you like me to tell you what the demon did?" he whispered. "How it took it's revenge?"  
  
"No.... No...!"  
  
"The rumors say it laughed the entire time, crying bloody tears of mirth as it slaughtered an entire town. Tell me, did you enjoy it, Tsuzuki-san? Taking from them what they took from your sister?"  
  
"Stop it!" Tsuzuki clapped his hands over his ears, doubling over as if he'd been hit and jerking away from Muraki. "I didn't! I didn't mean to! I didn't want to hurt them! I didn't want to!"  
  
"No? After what they did you had no desire for revenge? They hated you, made you the scapegoat for anything that went wrong. They took your family away and left you with nothing. They would have killed you. Yet you say you had no wish to hurt them?"  
  
"I don't!"  
  
"You're lying. I can see your lies. You and I are no different, Tsuzuki-san. They shun us, despise us. Aren't you tired of submitting to that?"  
  
"Hisoka...and Tatsumi--"  
  
Muraki cut him off, moving in closer once more. "Are no different from the humans. You think the elves trust you? They only use you for your magic. You've no ear for gossip, Tsuzuki-san. Did you not hear them whispering in the village? The mage, they say, has welcomed evil into the forest." He laughed. "And my little broken doll.... He has nowhere to belong, and he will hate you for not being able to help."  
  
"I tried! I tried to help him!"  
  
"You have failed, and when he leaves you here in this wooded prison he will come to see how harsh his existence can become. I imagine...he'll end up in the same position you were in five years ago, with an entire village's blood on his hands."  
  
"No!"  
  
"Have you grown attached to him? Would you like to spare him that future? We can do that."  
  
"What...?"  
  
Muraki stepped forward, smiling, as Tsuzuki backed away. "We can destroy them all."  
  
})({  
  
Hisoka swore vividly as he stumbled along the path. Dashing through the woods jarred his body, turning it into one large ache. Tsuzuki had told him that he had great capacity for healing magic, but so far he hadn't learned enough to patch up a scrape, much less deal with any of the wounds Muraki had inflicted. Grimly, he realized that he had reopened one of the cuts, as something warm trickled down the side of his leg.  
  
He was just as crazy as that idiot, to be running after Muraki in the shape he was in, but it was his right to be able to face the wizard. His pain had earned him the right to see that Muraki paid.  
  
Slowing his pace, he limped along as quietly as he could. Tsuzuki's cottage was nearby and he didn't want to be noticed until he'd at least had time to gauge the situation.  
  
He switched to astral sight, noting the twisted magic that tainted the mist. It had been impossible not to notice it with his curse flaring in connection, and he hoped that Muraki would not be able to sense his presence through his magic.  
  
Creeping through an eternity of damp mist and looming trees, he finally made it to the very edge of the clearing. From his hiding place in the shadows, he could just barely catch some of what was being said. So he watched, changing his vision back to normal, as the clearing exploded in light.  
  
})({  
  
"D-destroy...." The word came as a hushed whisper, dread, fear, and horrible guilt obvious in the tone.  
  
"Of course." Calm and collected, Muraki was the polar opposite of the shaking man that had all but collapsed before him. He was close to his goal--so close--and tonight would see the beginning of the end.  
  
"Do you know what this mist is, Tsuzuki-san? No...you would not. Few do." He raised his hand with a flourish, trailing tendrils of sliver that slowly settled back into the silver pool. "It is a Gateway, the largest of the natural Gateways. With the proper spell, one can pass through. All it takes is the incantation to activate the Gateway, strong will to indicate who is passing, and a few drops of blood from a creature of the realm one wishes to visit. It's very simple, really, but unfortunately that spell only works one way."  
  
He looked down, smiling. "Poor Tsuzuki-san. It seems you are ill-equipped to be a murderer. It's in your nature, you know. Your very blood calls for the death of others. The massacre five years ago is proof of that."  
  
"I didn't want to!"  
  
"You did. You enjoyed it, too, somewhere deep down. You felt justified. Why fight it? You'll only do it again."  
  
"I won't!" He clamped his hands over his ears, blocking out Muraki's voice.  
  
"Ah, but you will, though perhaps not in person." Slowly he drew a long ceremonial knife from a sheath at his waist. "A demon sacrifice to open the Gateway to hell.... Your death will seal this world's fate."  
  
With a gesture, five spindly pillars of arcane light shot up through the mist around Muraki. The light spread from the focuses he had set earlier, forming a pentagram around him. An answering shape sprang to life behind Tsuzuki, and the mage was lifted and bound in mid air.  
  
"I wish a crossing," Muraki hissed. His lips moved, chanting in an ancient language as the mist responded. Light began to build, illuminating the clearing to a brilliance even brighter than daytime provided. The mist shone harshly, throwing everything into sharp relief as Muraki's voice rose, commanding the magic.  
  
He stopped suddenly, and the light flared. It dimmed to a bearable level, as columns of mist swirled upwards, arching and meeting to form a doorway between Muraki and Tsuzuki. The light pulsed, waiting for the continuation of the spell as Muraki reached out and drew the knife in a careful line across Tsuzuki's throat. The cut healed almost before the contact was broken, leaving the magic untouched by blood. Muraki smiled.  
  
"I wonder how long it will take to kill you." He slashed this time, opening a gash deep enough to allow a splatter of drops to rain into the mist before the healing began. The light changed, threads of crimson streaking through the Gateway. The magic pulled at Tsuzuki, trying to draw him in as Muraki's spell held him fast.  
  
"It is open. Once I kill you this entire forest will become a portal. Your brethren will come, charged with my revenge!" He laughed, readying for another strike.  
  
The knife never made it to its target, however. A figure appeared out of the mist, shouting in rage as it grabbed his arm. He felt something rip into his skin, and he shook the thing off, sending it thudding to the ground between himself and Tsuzuki.  
  
Mist rolled off his form as Hisoka stood, glaring hatred at Muraki and baring fangs coated in the wizard's blood. He spat contemptuously into the mist as the magic's pull extended to Muraki.  
  
"Do you think you can stop me, boy?" He didn't even try to hide his fury. "I hold your life in my hands!"  
  
Hisoka screamed as the curse flared brilliantly. It ripped at his psyche and his physical self, trying to tear him in all directions as the wizard's blood and magic tangled within the spell.  
  
Muraki was braced against the draw of the Gateway. The only thing that kept him from being pulled through was the magic's hold on Tsuzuki. The columns twisted, writhing under the pressure of being caught in the middle of a spell. Restless swirls of mist stirred faster and faster about the legs and waist of all three present as the Gateway pulled, endeavoring to complete the spell that held sway.  
  
Collapsing under the pressure of it all, Hisoka grabbed Tsuzuki's hand, reaching mentally for the mage's emotions. He drew the overwhelming tide to himself and yanked hard, pulling it with him into oblivion.  
  
})({  
  
Everything hurt. Absolutely everything. There was no direction, no emotion, nothing but pain. Slowly, very slowly, other sensations filtered in. There was a heartbeat, the flow of blood through veins, and the shallow drag of breathing, but nothing external, not yet.  
  
The next recognition was the flood. Thoughts, feelings, memories...the entire sum of another mind was emptying slowly out of him, draining away. He lay in the middle of the current, floating along with it, as if he would rush away like flotsam along with everything else. Still, there was nothing of his own, aside from the heart, veins, lungs, and the pain.  
  
There were images in the flood. A young girl picked flowers to weave into chains. The same girl with a kind smile and an outstretched hand. These images were warm and safe, loved, but tainted with a dark melancholy.  
  
The darkness increased, bringing anguish, rage, and more pain. There was fire now, and blood, but the images were being washed away faster, passing him by. Something anchored him against the flood, but the images and emotions kept sweeping past.  
  
Angry people, uncaring people, someone familiar...with blue eyes and a hidden smile. There were friends now, and a boy. A skinny, angular thing that appeared in so many thoughts. The boy yelled, scowled, listened, and watched, but never smiled. Yet, these memories carried happiness with them greater than any others since the girl. For the first time since his senses had begun to return, he had a thought of his own: Why?  
  
The flood was lessening now, fast becoming a trickle, and he felt empty and full at the same time. His own self expanded, extending his awareness, but the feeling of losing something important grew.  
  
Outer sensations were returning as he began to fit himself within his own skin again. The pain changed, becoming sharper in some places, duller in others. His senses were dimmed, and it was still dark, but he could feel the tickle of wind on his skin. Something solid and warm was wrapped around him.  
  
Crickets sounded, heralding the return of hearing. Whatever held him was shaking, and he could hear sniffling and shuddering breath indicative of someone crying.  
  
Everything still hurt in more ways than he thought it was possible to hurt. He just wanted to sleep until the pain went away, but the person holding him was keeping him from dropping back into unconsciousness. He didn't know who was crying or why; he just wanted them to stop.  
  
He shifted, groaning and wincing, unable to do more than that. He couldn't remember ever being so tired, couldn't remember much of anything, really.  
  
The crying faltered. "Hi-Hisoka...?"  
  
He grumbled, muttering nonsense in an unsuccessful attempt to speak. The arms around him tightened, rocking him gently, and relieved joy struck him in a thick wave. Fingers were stroking his hair, which felt unbelievably nice amidst the pain, and he found himself being lulled back to sleep despite the voice near his ear thanking whatever deities would listen for his survival.  
  
})({  
  
The next time Hisoka woke he was considerably more comfortable, though fairly disoriented. Tsuzuki was still holding him, but rather than being sprawled on dewy grass, they were tucked into a bed, cozy and secure. He shifted experimentally and Tsuzuki mumbled in his sleep, nuzzling his hair contentedly.  
  
It was a strange position to be in, caught up in a tangle of warm arms and sheets. Tsuzuki's presence shifted around him like tides. He could feel his broken arm aching and the sting of a few various cuts in counterpoint to the relaxed calm that had claimed him. He had no idea how long he laid there, basking in soothing emotions and a comfortable closeness he had never thought possible.  
  
He was drifting off again when the door opened and Tatsumi entered. The elf smiled, seeing he was awake, and moved to take a seat in a chair next to the bed. It was the same chair Tsuzuki had dragged over, and it clicked into place in Hisoka's mind that they were in Tatsumi's house, rather than home in Tsuzuki's cottage.  
  
"Good evening, Hisoka-kun." Tatsumi's voice was low and even, pitched to be easy to hear without waking Tsuzuki. "I suppose I owe you some measure of thanks for what you did, though your methods left something to be desired."  
  
Hisoka met his gaze evenly, blushing very faintly, and shrugged.  
  
"'Soka...."  
  
He hadn't even realized Tsuzuki was awake until the mage spoke, breath tickling his ear. Hisoka snapped his head around, startled, as the embrace tightened.  
  
"Thought you were never gonna wake up. Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Thank goodness." He kissed Hisoka's hair, burying his face in the fine strands. Tatsumi stepped outside to let them talk. "I don't know what happened." His voice faltered, and the contentment soured, becoming dark guilt. "When you fell and Muraki disappeared I just sat there and stared. I'm sorry. Hisoka, I'm so sorry."  
  
Hisoka shook his head. "I took your feelings into me to make the spell let you go. No emotions means no strong will."  
  
"That's why...." The mood lightened fractionally, and Tsuzuki continued. "Things started coming back, and I remembered you and I panicked. I thought you were dead. But then..." he laughed softly, "then you grouched at me and passed out again. I brought you here. Tatsumi helped bandage your wounds--you'd reopened a big one--and we put you to bed. You've been asleep for three days."  
  
"I've slept longer. You worry too much."  
  
"Can you really fault me for it? I love you. I went to face him to protect you and you.... Thank you, 'Soka. For saving me."  
  
"Don't worry about it."  
  
Tsuzuki smiled and kissed his forehead. "I'll go get you something to eat." He moved to get up, but paused as Hisoka rested a hand on his arm.  
  
"Wait. Is it okay to just...stay here for a while?"  
  
His smile grew, and he settled back down. "Of course. I'll stay with you as long as you want."  
  
Nodding, Hisoka drifted slowly back into the rhythm of heartbeats and soft breaths, safe and warm where he belonged. 


	9. READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES FIRST PLEASE

Okay--here's what happened. While I was proofreading, I remembered that Muraki had killed the little Hijiri angel boy thing, and the thought occurred to me that he isn't one to do something for only one reason, and also that he's usually very well prepared. Therefore, the death of the angel became much more significant, and ended up here. Also, it's very short--more of a teaser chapter than anything--but once I noticed it, I couldn't just leave it be.  
  
THIS DOES NOT RESOLVE THE STORY. It IS the end of this story, just like the YnoM arcs ended with Muraki still alive and lurking. If enough people are interested enough to wait however long it would take me to write a sequel, I may try, otherwise I'm not going to bother. This is like the ultimate proof that I'm horrible at endings.  
  
Chapter 10 is the omake chapter. It's just a light thingy I added because I was half asleep when I first wrote it, thought the idea was funny, and promised I would post it. :P  
  
That's all, folks. Good night, good luck, and don't forget to CRITICISE! =D  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Yoko Matsushita. The setting is mine, tho.  
  
})({  
  
Gasping for air, Hisoka bolted upright, flinging the covers halfway across the room in an effort to rid himself of the weight holding him down. His eyes were wide, pupils dilated to take advantage of light that wasn't there, and they stung as droplets of sweat trickled into them. He shivered, nightshirt soaked through with cold fear sweat. The air was too thick to breathe.... He clutched his chest, fighting to draw air into his heaving lungs. The room spun. His heart was beating far too fast, like hummingbird wings.  
  
"Tsuzuki," he croaked. The sound was barely audible even in the dead stillness of night. "Tsuzuki...he's coming back!"  
  
His voice worked the second time, provoking a response. They had returned to Tsuzuki's cottage, and though he had refused to share a bed, Tsuzuki had convinced him to share a room until his strength was better. Now, Hisoka was thankful for the mage's persistence. Across the room, he could just make out Tsuzuki's form against the gloom as he tumbled out of bed and crossed the short distance to Hisoka's side.  
  
"'Soka? What's going on?" As soon as he was within reach, before he could even sit down, Hisoka had grabbed his arm, yanking him down onto the mattress. Bewildered, Tsuzuki pulled his apprentice closer, smoothing down damp hair and murmuring what comforts he could.  
  
Still caught in the horrors of the nightmare, Hisoka shook and babbled, fingers clenched painfully into Tsuzuki's arm, as his sight locked on something far away.  
  
"It hurts! Hurts...he ripped off my wings! Tore them off slowly and I could feel them come loose! My family let him cage me-father watched! So much blood...how could there be so much blood and it hurts!"  
  
"Hush. Calm down and breathe, Hisoka. He didn't rip off your wings--he couldn't have."  
  
"Tore them off in pieces!"  
  
"No, Hisoka, he didn't. It was a nightmare. He's gone. He's gone, I promise." Gently, he kissed Hisoka's brow and temple, trailing kisses lower until he reached his lips. To his surprise, Hisoka responded not only willingly, but desperately, as if the kiss was his only link to life.  
  
Slowly, the fit subsided. Hisoka's breathing slowed, he stopped shaking and relaxed his grip. With a last, shuddering sigh, he rested his head limply against Tsuzuki's chest.  
  
"I saw Muraki. He was...I was the angel...Muraki...he...." Hisoka swallowed hard. "I'm gonna be sick." He lunged away from Tsuzuki, grabbing up an empty dinner bowl the mage had left on the bedside table.  
  
When Hisoka was finished, Tsuzuki took the bowl and set it on the floor off to the side. "Hand me that cup," he said softly, gesturing to the table. The cup trembled in Hisoka's hand, and Tsuzuki steadied his grip and filled it with water, then helped him drink. Again, he waited until he was done, then asked, "Any better?"  
  
Hisoka shook his head.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I was in his mind again." There was no question who's mind Hisoka meant. Tsuzuki rested a hand lightly on his back and Hisoka continued. "I saw what happened to the angel. I felt it." He shuddered.  
  
Tsuzuki pulled him into a hug. "It was only a nightmare."  
  
"No it wasn't. He killed that angel at a Gateway." The words cut right through any reassurances Tsuzuki could have offered. He tensed, holding Hisoka tighter as if to prevent him from being taken away as the meaning sank in.  
  
"Where?"  
  
"I don't know. In the mountains."  
  
"The other angels. They would find him first...they would--"  
  
"No, Tsuzuki. They won't find him. Unless we close the Gateway he is going to come back." There was terrible inevitability in Hisoka's voice, but it was a thin layer over equally strong determination.  
  
"We don't even know where to look. I don't even know if a Gateway like that can be closed."  
  
"There's a chance--a very slim one. Otherwise he wouldn't have challenged me."  
  
"Us."  
  
Green eyes, faintly luminescent in the darkness, fixed on Tsuzuki. "He sent the dream to me."  
  
"Because he could. Do you think I'm just going to let you go wandering around the mountains alone looking for him?" Tsuzuki nuzzled his hair affectionately. "Besides, your apprenticeship isn't up yet."  
  
Hisoka's eyes stopped glowing, and Tsuzuki stood up. He stepped carefully to the dresser, and pulled a bundle out of one of the drawers.   
  
"Let's get you into a dry shirt and a dry bed. Tomorrow we can work out how we're going to do this."  
  
Hisoka nodded assent, and Tsuzuki sat back down beside him and reached to help unbutton his shirt. "Quicker this way," he said, then sat back to let Hisoka shrug his good arm out of one sleeve and ease off the other. They repeated the process in reverse for the dry shirt, and slid off the icy sheets.  
  
Halfway across the room, Hisoka stopped and put a hand on Tsuzuki's shoulder. When the mage turned to look at him, he stretched up to give him a brief kiss, just barely catching the corner of his mouth.  
  
Tsuzuki smiled. "You're welcome."  
  
As he crawled between the blankets and rearranged them and himself around Hisoka, Tsuzuki felt a sense of peace returning. He yawned and snuggled into the pillows.  
  
"Tomorrow we'll check the library and see what we can do. For right now, though...I just want to be comfortable a little longer."  
  
"If you try to leave me behind again I won't forgive you."  
  
"I won't, I promise. I'm stronger when I'm with you."  
  
Hisoka snorted. "You're an idiot."  
  
"I love you too." 


	10. omake

The omake chapter. w00t. I don't particularly like most of it, but it could be worse, and I said I would post it. If nothing else, maybe it'll inspire an MST.  
  
At any rate, thank you all so much for reviewing, and I'm very sorry about the waiting. The fact that I even got this posted is amazing, considering I hadn't finished a long story in about three years. If you will excuse me, I am going to celebrate with a bag of wintergreen mints and some anime...or maybe I'll just sleep for once.  
  
})({  
  
"'Soka-chan!"   
  
Hisoka looked up from the patch of garden he had been watering. A particularly large lily was blocking his view of the porch and its occupant, so he gently pushed aside the flowers, unintentionally framing his face. He looked expectantly at Tsuzuki as the mage bounced off the porch and waded into the flowerbed.  
  
"We need to go shopping!" Tsuzuki grinned broadly. Hisoka blinked.  
  
"Shopping? Where? The only place near here is the village, and they--"  
  
"Lets go to Border!"  
  
"Tsuzuki, Border is four days' travel from here--in the opposite direction. We don't have time." He resumed watering the plants.  
  
"But 'Sokaaaa! We both need new clothes! Look at this!" To illustrate his point, Tsuzuki tugged at his dark gray tunic.  
  
"Looks fine to me," Hisoka responded, sparing an appraising glance for the fabric. There was nothing wrong with it at all, unless you counted slightly worn seams, but it wasn't severe wear and tear by any stretch of the definition.  
  
"It's supposed to be black!"  
  
"...Oh. Are all your clothes like that?"  
  
"If I say yes can we go shopping?"  
  
"If you say yes, you can wear dark gray in the mountains."  
  
"But your clothes are a mess too!" Tsuzuki pointed to Hisoka's outfit, a green tunic and undyed pants covered with dirt and grass stains. The dragon glared.  
  
"This is what I wear to garden. My other clothes are all perfectly fine."  
  
"Please, 'Soka-chan?"  
  
Pulling the puppy eyes routine was a low blow, and Tsuzuki knew it. However, low or not it was usually effective. The trick was in getting Hisoka to actually look at him. He thought for a moment as Hisoka spoke.  
  
"I am not hiking four days out and four days back just because you think I need new clothes. That's eight days we'd lose! We need to find that Gate and close it."  
  
"Pretty!"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"The lilies! They're so pretty. They're the same pale color as your skin, 'Soka-chan. ...Mm." He nodded decisively. "'Soka-chan is pretty too!"  
  
"Idiot, just what are you--" Hisoka spun to face Tsuzuki and was immediately caught by large, tear-filled violet eyes.  
  
"Pleeeease come shopping with me?"  
  
"...Fine."  
  
Tsuzuki's face changed instantly to an overjoyed smile. His tail wagged at top speed as he darted around the lily to glomp Hisoka.  
  
"Thank you 'Soka!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Tell me, how are you going to pay for anything? You don't have any money."  
  
"Yes I do."  
  
Hisoka blinked. "You do?"  
  
"Of course! You know how people come by to see me for help sometimes? Well some of them pay me."  
  
"I'm surprised someone like you would accept payment."  
  
"I usually don't, but some of them were very insistent. One woman even baked a few coins into a pie for me, then left before I could return them."  
  
Pouring the last bit of liquid from his watering can over a small rosebush, Hisoka sighed and shook his head.  
  
"We're leaving tomorrow? I guess it'll be okay--especially if it's on the way."  
  
"On the way to where?"  
  
"To the mountains!"  
  
"There aren't any mountains in that direction."  
  
"Tsuzuki...!"  
  
"We'll leave as soon as you change into something suitable." Tsuzuki stepped carefully out of the garden, grinning over his shoulder at Hisoka.  
  
"You've got to be kidding."  
  
"Nope. I'm all set to cast the spell!"  
  
"Spell? You never mentioned a spell!"  
  
"It's a new one I just learned; a transport spell. We'll be at Border in the blink of an eye!"  
  
"Absolutely not! I refuse to be a guinea pig for your magical experiments!"  
  
"I've tested it!" Tsuzuki whined, letting his newly re-appeared ears droop. "Do you really think I'd use a spell on you that wasn't safe?"  
  
Hisoka sighed in response. "I suppose not." He made his way out of the flowerbed, fondly brushing the leaves of certain plants as he passed. Tsuzuki smiled, watching him.  
  
"I almost get the feeling that you like my garden better than you like me, 'Soka-chan." He smiled, teasing, as the dragon joined him on the porch.  
  
"Idiot." Hisoka paused to give him a quick kiss on the cheek as he walked into the cottage. "I do."  
  
"How can you be so cold?" Inside, however, Tsuzuki was laughing. Joking was something new Hisoka had discovered, and seemed to enjoy.  
  
It didn't take long for Hisoka to return, dressed in a fresh green top and pale blue pants. He looked at Tsuzuki doubtfully.  
  
"You're sure this'll work?"  
  
"Completely! It's mostly focus. I've been testing it on little things around the house, and they all went exactly where I wanted them to."  
  
Hisoka eyed Tsuzuki suspiciously. "What kind of little things?"  
  
"Oh, you know," Tsuzuki began to sound a little nervous. "This and that."  
  
"You bastard! So that's why I couldn't find my clothes after my bath!"  
  
"I left you the towel!"  
  
"No wonder you were so damn smug when I came out!"  
  
"Can I help it if I think you're cute?"  
  
"You can help acting on it you pervert! Remind me why I still live with you."  
  
"You and I both know that you put up with me because you love me. Now come here so I can cast the spell."  
  
Hisoka obeyed, muttering under his breath in dragon speech; something that never failed to amuse Tsuzuki.  
  
"Give me your hand. I need to be in contact with you to transport us."  
  
"Why?" Hisoka asked, offering his hand anyway. "You didn't have to be in contact with my clothes."  
  
"No..." The mage took hold of Hisoka's hand, and pulled the dragon close, wrapping his arm around the slim waist. "...but isn't it more fun this way?" He winked as Hisoka hissed another of his draconian insults.  
  
With his free hand, Tsuzuki reached into a pouch hanging from his belt and withdrew a small cloth packet. Hisoka stared at it curiously as the mage explained.  
  
"This is just to make the spell easier. It's a mixture of powdered herbs and stones that heightens this particular type of magic."  
  
"You're absolutely sure this is safe?"  
  
Tsuzuki grinned. "I love you, 'Soka." With that, he opened the packet and tossed it into the air, letting the wind scatter its contents as he pictured the outskirts of the town and shouted: "Border!"  
  
The wind picked up around the two, and the forest blurred into nondescript browns and greens. Hisoka closed his eyes. There was a feeling of motion provided by the spell, and without his sight he could almost imagine that he was flying.  
  
The feeling didn't last, and he felt regret swell within him as all became still once more. He swayed slightly, and took his arms off Tsuzuki--when had he hugged the man?--keeping his eyes closed as he regained his sense of balance.  
  
"Uh oh...."  
  
That was not something he wanted to hear. He turned to look at Tsuzuki, ready to pin the mage's ears back if the spell had gone wrong. The tirade died on his tongue as he stared at...himself.  
  
"Um...'Soka-chan?" Hisoka watched with shocked calm as his body sprouted kitten ears and a matching tail and stared up at himself sorrowfully. "I think something may have gone slightly wrong...."  
  
"Tsuzu...ki...?" The voice that spoke was deeper than he was used to, and definitely not the dragon's voice.  
  
Hisoka's voice answered guiltily from Hisoka's mouth. "Yes." Suddenly his leaf green eyes were overflowing with tears, and the kitten ears drooped. "I'm sorry!"  
  
"Stop that," Hisoka said, automatically. "I look stupid." He looked down to see if he was really who he thought he was. Dark gray met his eyes. He raised a hand, which was covered to the wrist in dark gray. He tugged at his bangs, staring at the chocolate strands with the same calm-before-the-storm attitude that had settled over him.  
  
"Oh, wow! 'Soka-chan, look! They come out as a cat now!"  
  
Hisoka looked to his body, which now housed Tsuzuki. He watched as his good hand reached up to pet the soft feline ears that had sprouted from his hair.  
  
"How do you do that?" He still sounded oddly calm, which was probably what alarmed Tsuzuki.  
  
"Are you okay, Hisoka?" Wide green eyes stared into shocked violet as Tsuzuki studied himself. "You look pale--I mean, I look pale--well, it's you in there, but it's me, so.... Are you okay?"  
  
The violet eyes finally snapped into focus as Hisoka's brain caught up with the switch. Flocks of birds on the edge of the forest took flight, and people outside near the woods looked into the trees as an enraged shout echoed through the air.  
  
"YOU IDIOT!"  
  
})({  
  
"-owowowowowow-"  
  
"Would you shut up?! You've been doing that for the past five minutes!" Tsuzuki and Hisoka emerged from the trees on the path that led to Border. The village itself was only a few minutes walk away.  
  
Tsuzuki rubbed Hisoka's ears, and looked up mournfully. "But it hurts! You never told me you had such sensitive hearing!"  
  
"How do you think you could never sneak up on me, idiot?" The mage's eyes, usually so soft, were hard amethysts with Hisoka's anger behind them. "And would you stop walking?!" Hisoka reached out to grab his own arm.  
  
Tsuzuki pouted at him with the dragon's face, something that Hisoka took a severe dislike to.  
  
"Cut it out. Transport us home. Maybe that'll reverse this."  
  
"But we're here now. We may as well just go shopping, and go back at the end of the day like we'd planned."  
  
"I want my body back, mage."  
  
"Please, 'Soka?"  
  
"Cats weren't made for pouting." The smug smile on his face told Tsuzuki that his trump card had been trashed.  
  
"Fine." Tsuzuki scowled in a way that was almost as forbidding as Hisoka's scowls. "I refuse to go home until I get some new clothes. I'm here, and I need them."  
  
"All right. We'll get your damn clothes, then we'll go home." Hisoka stalked off towards the town. "Let's go!"  
  
"Right!" Tsuzuki bounced along beside his disgruntled apprentice. As they approached the town, he latched onto his arm, and reached up to give Hisoka a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Knock it off!" Hisoka snarled.  
  
"If you keep pretending to be more angry than you really are you're gonna get a headache."  
  
"What are you--my empathy. You've got my empathy! That's why it feels so blasted empty here!"  
  
"Hmmm...yeah, I guess empty is a good way to put it. Do other people's emotions always get all mixed up with yours?"  
  
"Sort of. The better I know someone, the easier it is to separate their feelings and mine, but in places like this...." He glanced at the smaller figure. "You're going to have a hard time. I don't suppose you know how to shield at all?"  
  
"Shield?"  
  
"Yeah. I learned that if I focus right, I can sort of...not block out, but dampen the emotions of others."  
  
"Oh. I guess I could try it. Is it hard? How do I do it?"  
  
"I can't explain. The only reason I figured it out was because I needed it so badly that it just started happening."  
  
"Oh well. I guess I'll just have to be careful."  
  
"You," Hisoka informed him, "are going to end up with a headache."  
  
"You're always so pessimistic, 'Soka. You should lighten up." He grinned mischievously, and poked a place on his side that he knew to be ticklish. Hisoka gave a sort of surprised squeak, and glared at Tsuzuki.  
  
"I'll get you back for that later."  
  
"I look forward to it."  
  
Hisoka shook his head as they entered the town. "Where do we go for clothes?"  
  
"This way! This way!" Tsuzuki took off, leaving Hisoka to trail behind.  
  
Following his teacher's lead would prove to be highly counterproductive as he led them into, not a clothing shop, but a bakery. Once inside, he darted about, staring at all the different cookies, cakes, pies, and candies with unconcealed excitement.  
  
"Miss!" Tsuzuki began rattling off his order to the startled girl behind the counter. "I want one of those and one of those and three of those and--" Hisoka cut him off.  
  
"Tsuzuki, we're here for clothes. Only. Not sweets."  
  
"But 'Soka!"  
  
Hisoka kept Tsuzuki's voice low as he spoke. "No buts. You aren't putting any of that junk into my body!"  
  
"It's not junk," Tsuzuki hissed back.  
  
"No."  
  
A honey-colored eyebrow raised in challenge. "How are you going to stop me?"  
  
Hisoka gave him a look that meant he had just said something particularly stupid. He patted the small purse of coins hanging from the mage's belt.  
  
"I have the money."  
  
Tsuzuki sniffed, letting tears fall from Hisoka's lime eyes. "How mean...."  
  
"You're still too old to be acting like a child. Lets get what we came for so we can go home." Hisoka made it two steps toward the door before he felt a tug at his belt. He spun to see Tsuzuki holding up the purse, a triumphant smile spread across his face.  
  
"I knew I'd be able to sneak up on you someday! And now for some apple pie!"  
  
"Tsuzuki! Give that back, you idiot!"  
  
"Here now!" Hisoka looked up to see a large man enter the room from a door in the back. "What are you doing yelling at that child?"  
  
"He isn't a child," Hisoka snapped. "He's--" He was silenced as Tsuzuki clamped a hand over his mouth.  
  
"I'm his apprentice. I'm sixteen. Master Hisoka really is very nice to me, he just doesn't want to let me spoil my appetite." Tsuzuki grinned wickedly at the scowl on his face. "But one piece of pie couldn't hurt, right, Hisoka?" He moved his hand away.  
  
"...Just one."   
  
Tsuzuki smiled at the man, who retreated back into the kitchen, satisfied with the explanation. The girl behind the counter cut a slice of apple pie, trying to hold back giggles. Hisoka retrieved the purse from Tsuzuki and paid for the pie. His teacher skipped to a table near the front window to enjoy his treat.  
  
"You really should smile more," Tsuzuki informed him as he sat down. "Smiles suit me best."  
  
"You aren't supposed to compliment yourself."  
  
"It isn't a complement. It's the truth."  
  
"Hurry up and eat."  
  
Tsuzuki complied happily.  
  
They left the bakery minutes later, and Hisoka was relieved to note that the next store they entered was actually the clothing store.  
  
"Pick some stuff out," he ordered. Not that the store had much to offer. It was relatively small, being in such a small town. The only reason they even had a clothing store in addition to a tailor was because the village attracted traders since it was one of the few places to find goods from the Forest of Shadows.  
  
Tsuzuki bounced about, choosing tunics, pants and cloaks, mostly in black, though a few of his choices were blue, and one was a deep purple. He handed the pile to Hisoka and smiled.  
  
"All set?" He turned to take the pile to the cashier, but Tsuzuki stopped him.  
  
"You have to try them on."  
  
"I what?"  
  
"You heard me." Tsuzuki sprouted his cat ears, and a playfully twitching tail. "I want to know everything fits."  
  
Hisoka growled in dragon speech.  
  
Tsuzuki blinked. "Do that some more, too."  
  
"Do what more?"  
  
"Speak dragon."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well..." Tsuzuki twiddled his fingers in a way that told Hisoka whatever was coming would probably be something he didn't want to hear. "It's such an odd language, and you move your tongue around so funny to make some of the sounds, and you happen to be a really good kisser, so I thought--"  
  
Hisoka turned scarlet and ducked into a changing room. Moments later, Tsuzuki winced, recognizing a particularly vicious swear Hisoka had interpreted once that was now likely directed at him.  
  
The pile of clothes he had picked out had been rather large, so he realized that his apprentice would be in the changing room for a while. With nothing else to do, Tsuzuki began looking through the clothes for something fit for a pale, fair-haired teenager.  
  
})({  
  
Hisoka emerged from the dressing room frazzled, and none too happy to note that the shop was missing a certain mage-turned-dragon boy. He looked around, finally spotting a person near the back who may have seen his errant companion. He approached the girl, who was checking her reflection in a mirror near one of the changing rooms.  
  
"Excuse me, miss, have you seen--" The girl spun, and Hisoka nearly choked.  
  
"'Soka-chan! Doesn't it look nice on you?" Tsuzuki spun, modeling the pale green dress and matching sunhat for his shocked apprentice.  
  
"...."  
  
"'Soka-chan?" Tsuzuki 'eep'-ed and backed away as anger rolled off Hisoka in waves.  
  
"Get. It. Off. NOW!"  
  
"Okay!" Tsuzuki ducked back into the changing room, and switched clothes faster than he ever had in his life, despite having one arm in a sling.  
  
As soon as he stepped out into the store again, Hisoka buried him under the mountain of clothes he had picked out.  
  
"They fit. Buy them. I'll be outside." He turned, tossing the coin pouch over his shoulder to land on top of the pile, and walked out of the shop.  
  
Tsuzuki sighed as he watched him go. He had really hoped that Hisoka would enjoy himself today. It had taken a lot of work to look up the body-switching spell and make the powder, but he had hoped the results would have been worth it. Unfortunately, Hisoka wasn't having fun at all.  
  
It took a considerable amount of time for the shopkeeper to total up the cost of his clothes and fold them into bags. By the time Tsuzuki had finally left the shop, his worry had increased. Hisoka would definitely be angry after such a long wait.  
  
Walking out of the store, he spotted his body sitting hunched on a nearby bench next to a white box. Tsuzuki approached carefully, dragging the bags one-handed, and hoping Hisoka wouldn't scold him. He sat down on the other side of the box, watching his apprentice carefully.   
  
Purple eyes remained focused on the ground as Hisoka spoke.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
Tsuzuki blinked. "Eh?"  
  
"For yelling at you. I've just been a little nervous today."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I can't...read anybody. I feel like I don't know what's going on around me. I guess it puts me off balance." He nudged the box toward Tsuzuki. "Here."  
  
"What is it?" Hisoka didn't answer, but Tsuzuki hadn't really expected him to. He opened the box, grinning hugely to see that it contained a delectable-looking apple pie.  
  
"Thank you Hisoka!" Tsuzuki scooted closer to hug him, appreciating how Hisoka's body fit right under his chin.  
  
"Don't be so cuddly," Hisoka muttered. "You'll spoil my reputation."  
  
"You don't have a reputation here. You can be yourself!"  
  
"How can I be myself in your body?"  
  
Sparkling green eyes peered up at Tsuzuki's face. "Hisoka is Hisoka. Always."  
  
For a moment, surprise registered on the older face, then one of Hisoka's tiny, unsure smiles appeared. The expression was a far cry from Tsuzuki's joyous grins, but nevertheless, the mage took pleasure in the change.   
  
"I told you I looked better with a smile."  
  
Hisoka reached over and ruffled his honey blond hair, smoothing it over with his fingers afterwards.  
  
"Mmm...." Tsuzuki hummed with pleasure, closing leaf green eyes and leaning into the touch. "That feels nice.... I'll have to remember to do this more often."  
  
"...Idiot."  
  
Tsuzuki responded to the feeling, rather than the word. "I love you too, 'Soka."  
  
For several minutes, neither moved except for Hisoka running fingers through his soft hair. It really was nice, he decided, not being bombarded with the emotions of others for once. He was completely separate from everyone. The only thing about it was that after being used to feeling others' emotions, the emptiness left in their stead was sort of...lonely.  
  
Hisoka jumped as Tsuzuki snuggled closer to him, tucking his head under his chin. He looked down into his own bright green eyes, wondering why the other had shifted.  
  
"You aren't alone." Hisoka blinked as Tsuzuki offered him a reassuring smile. "I'm right here with you. I won't leave you. So why are you lonely?"  
  
"I...I'm all alone inside." He tapped the side of his head. "It's the first time I can remember when I didn't feel anyone but myself. I can't even get the slightest hint of what you're feeling."  
  
Tilting his head, Tsuzuki asked, "Isn't it better?"  
  
"Well, in general I could get used to it but...."  
  
"But...?"   
  
"I don't like not being able to feel you." He ducked his head, trying to conceal a blush behind untidy chocolate bangs. "Your presence is always so...so...I don't know. Without it...it's like you're not really here almost."  
  
"Do you want to go home now?"  
  
"Please."  
  
"You sure you don't want to enjoy it a bit longer? Your arm sort of hurts, you know."  
  
"I'll deal with it."  
  
"All right. Take out the packet of powder in that pouch on my belt, would you? And stand up."  
  
Hisoka did as he was told, reaching for the bags as Tsuzuki leaned against him.  
  
"I'm going to have to use my body for this. My magic didn't transfer. Put your arm around me, and hold the powder in the other hand. I'm going to use your empathy to sort of merge us, so that I can cast the spell with my magic, but from your body. All you have to do is throw the powder when I tell you to."  
  
Hisoka nodded and pulled his body a little closer to make it easier for Tsuzuki. Some of the townspeople were staring, which made him uneasy, but Tsuzuki was already working on the spell, so it was too late to move to another location. Plus, the thought of what could happen if the spell went awry was worse than the thought of a few stares from people he may never even see again.  
  
Hisoka looked down at his face to see that it finally bore a serious expression. Tsuzuki was focused on the spell and drawing magic to cast it. He felt the mage's presence within his mind, and he in turn peered into Tsuzuki's to see what he was doing mentally for the spell.  
  
"Now!" The call was sudden, and Hisoka threw the packet into the air automatically. The wind picked up and the world blurred, just as it had the first time, and a few seconds later, Hisoka found himself in the middle of the flower gardens with Tsuzuki.  
  
He looked up at Tsuzuki, glad to note that he was looking at the mage's body. Then, just to be sure, he looked down at himself. He brushed his own pale hand over his shirt, and cast, and then reached up to touch his face. He sighed in relief as his empathy registered Tsuzuki. He was definitely back in his own body.  
  
Hisoka scowled, and reached up to swat Tsuzuki's head. The mage automatically grew hurt puppy ears and began leaking tears.  
  
"What was that for?"  
  
"Because you switched us on purpose, you idiot! I saw it when you merged us!"  
  
"But Hisoka...!"  
  
The dragon continued to scowl, absently rubbing his jaw.  
  
"Hey, why are you doing that?"  
  
"Doing what?"  
  
"Rubbing your chin like that."  
  
"It hurts. All that smiling you did must've stretched my face out funny."  
  
Tsuzuki laughed. "Doesn't that mean that you should smile more to get used to it?"  
  
"No. It doesn't. It means that you're going to promise to never do that again if you want this back." Hisoka snatched the apple pie he had bought.  
  
"Never ever again?"  
  
"At least not without permission."  
  
"Okay, okay. Fine. I promise. Can I have the pie now?"  
  
Hisoka rolled his eyes, and held out the box.  
  
"Just a sec." The dragon watched as Tsuzuki dropped his bags and removed his cloak to spread it over the grass. "Let's have a picnic!" He dropped onto the cloak, grinning, and patted a spot next to himself. "Sit down."  
  
Nudging the bags of clothing further aside, Hisoka complied. He handed Tsuzuki the pie, watching with amusement as the mage opened the box and cut a slice with a small belt knife.  
  
As Tsuzuki munched on the pie, Hisoka shifted so that he could lean against the mage's shoulder without being in the way. He yawned and shut his eyes, completely relaxed.  
  
Tsuzuki smiled down at him and closed the box. He pulled the dragon carefully into his lap, wrapping his arms around him comfortably.  
  
"Hey, 'Soka-chan...wanna see if all that talking you did in dragon while trying on clothes had any effect?"  
  
"Idiot."  
  
Tsuzuki grinned, correctly interpreting Hisoka's response as an invitation, and set about enjoying a much better treat than apple pie. 


End file.
